At fourth place among the season’s highest run-getters, Nitish Rana has been IPL 2017’s breakout star © BCCI
Nitish Rana has credited advice from Gautam Gambhir to tweak his batting technique – shifting from a low stance to a more upright one and opening up his front shoulder – for his form in the IPL this season. Rana said he decided to change his technique after he discussed Gambhir’s suggestions with Mahela Jayawardene and Sachin Tendulkar in the Mumbai Indians camp. Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, is a senior team-mate of Rana’s at the Delhi Ranji Trophy team.
“As my form dipped and I got out early in a couple of one-dayers, Gambhir spoke to me regarding my technique. After coming over here, I spoke to Sachin sir and Mahela sir regarding the same and both said that Gambhir was right and from the first day I started practicing that way,” Rana told the Hindustan Times. “I have a low stance and there was a problem with me being side-on. They asked me to be upright and open up my shoulder a bit more to help me get a better look at the ball.”
Rana, with 266 runs, is currently the fourth-highest run-getter in this IPL season and one of only two batsmen – Moises Henriques being the other – to score three fifties.
Rana said he considers failure as part of the process leading to success.
“Frankly speaking, I feel if a person doesn’t fail in life he won’t be able to learn anything,” he said. “I knew something this big was on the cards. I failed a lot, people commented as well, but I ignored it and believed in myself, trusted my game and worked hard. Today, I’m getting the rewards for what I’ve put in.”
Rana also said he chose to focus harder after a poor 2016/17 domestic season. “Well, I didn’t have a great Ranji season. So I just kept telling myself that I had a number of things in my control now and if I can keep myself mentally prepared, it wouldn’t be too long before I get a chance to prove myself in the IPL,” he said. “I was just focused. I had a terrible Ranji season and I could have been depressed. Especially if you compare the previous two seasons, the last season was nothing.”
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo