Shreyas Iyer got injured before the start of the 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Kolkata Knight Riders are in trouble with the captaincy issue. As his replacement, the names Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das came up in various media. However, putting an end to all speculations, Kolkata handed over the leadership burden to the shoulders of his country’s cricketer, Nitish Rana.
In the crowd of experienced cricketers like Shakib-Litton, why Nitish is the captain, five reasons have been shown by the Indian media “Anandbazar”.

1. Calcutta head coach Chandrakant Pandit wanted an Indian cricketer to be the captain. In the list of local cricketers who can get a place in the eleven of all matches, Nitish has been considered worthy and the captaincy has been lifted.

2. Earlier, Nitish led Delhi in white ball cricket in Indian domestic tournaments. His record there was not bad. Nitish was ahead among the locals because of his previous leadership experience.

3. Nitish is liked by many cricketers in the Kolkata dressing room. He will not have any problem establishing unity among the players on the field. The head coach also likes him. Moreover, he can make decisions with a cool head.

4. The availability of Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das at the start of the tournament is in doubt due to objections from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Kolkata did not agree to create an unpleasant situation in the team by making such a person the captain. This is why Nitish is chosen.

5. Apart from Shakib-Litton, Andre Russell was ahead in the captaincy race among foreign cricketers. The main task of the all-rounder in the team is to perform in both the batting and bowling departments. Calcutta did not want to put extra pressure on him by handing over the leadership.

The 16th season of IPL will be curtained on March 31. Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings will face each other on the first day. Calcutta matches the next day. Their opponent is Punjab Kings.