30-year-old left-handed batsman Nitish Rana has revealed that Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid has promised his return to the Indian national cricket team.

Nitish Rana said that former India head coach Rahul Dravid had told him that he would do everything possible to help him get back into the Indian team’s scheme of things.

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Nitish Rana bought by Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 mega auction

Nitish Rana, who was a Knight Rider in the Indian Premier League since 2018, was bought by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for ₹4.20 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It came as a big surprise to everyone because Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) did not use the Right To Match option to retain their former captain. He was reportedly one of the contenders for KKR captaincy after the franchise parted ways with Shreyas Iyer.

However, Knight Riders showed no interest in buying back Nitish Rana, and that left his wife Saachi Marwah quite furious, who took to social media to post a cryptic message saying: “Loyalty is very expensive, not everyone can afford it.” .

I just told him that I want to return to the Indian team – Rahul Dravid

In a video shared by Rajasthan Royals (RR) on their official social media channels, Nitish Rana spoke about his interactions with head coach Rahul Dravid. He said:

“Sometimes we create stories in our minds, thinking that if I ask this question, will I be judged?” But, throughout the time I worked with him, the common fear that many players have (that if they talk to someone, they will be judged) was never a concern for me from day one.”

Rana revealed that he directly told Dravid that his goal is to return to India through his stint with Rajasthan Royals (RR). He further said that Dravid offered him his full support and assured him that he would do everything possible for the franchise and his career. He stated:

“I just told him that I played with him in my first series and I want to return to the Indian team. I will need his help because his guidance is very important for me. He accepted and said, ‘We will do the same.’ tere career ke liye jo possible cheez hogi wo karenge’ (“We will do everything possible for the franchise and his career”).

Fire in his belly and hunger to grow under Rahul Dravid’s mentorship: this is Nitish Rana, Rajasthan Royals ✨💗

🗣️ Become a member and watch the full video: httpyes://t.dooh/dj8tdo8IVYot pYodo.twYottmyr.doohmetro/dtYohohkohandgramw

– Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) dmydomymetrobmyr 13, 2024

Nitish Rana’s IPL numbers

Rana has played for Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He started his journey with Mumbai Indians (MI) before shifting base to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

In total, he has played 107 games in the League. In those matches, he scored 2636 runs at an average of 28.65 and a strike rate of 135.04 to complete 18 half-centuries.

Talking about his journey with the Indian National Cricket Team, he played two T20Is, scoring 15 runs, and one ODI, scoring 7 runs.