Nitish Rana recently shared a heartfelt story about how Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team captain, helped calm him down during a challenging period in the IPL 2023 season. Rana, who captained the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after replacing the injured Shreyas Iyer, faced a tough season with his team finishing seventh on the points table. Despite his own struggles with the Mumbai Indians (MI), Rohit took the time to offer guidance to Rana.
Rana recounted an interaction where he approached Rohit for advice after KKR won two matches and lost two. Rohit, in his characteristic calm and supportive manner, asked Rana what he thought captaincy entailed. Before Rana could express his thoughts, Rohit intervened, explaining that captaincy is not just about making tactical decisions like changing bowlers or adjusting fielders. Instead, he emphasised the importance of focusing on the process and backing oneself, highlighting that as long as results are favourable, all is well, and that even the best captaincy will be criticised when results are poor.
Rohit’s advice aimed to simplify Rana's perspective on leadership, making him understand that overcomplicating things would only make them tougher. This pep talk helped Rana shift his focus from the pressures of captaincy to maintaining confidence in his abilities and processes.
Despite KKR's struggles, Rana had a commendable personal season, scoring 413 runs at an average of 31.77, including three half-centuries, marking his best IPL tally. Since 2017, Rana has consistently scored over 300 runs each season, showcasing his reliability as a heavy scorer. Although he only played two matches and scored 42 runs in the tournament, his form and performance remained strong.
Rana's story underscores Rohit Sharma's role as an inspirational leader, not just for young players but also for more experienced ones, reinforcing his reputation as a supportive and motivating captain.