Nitish Rana gets NOC from UPCA
Lucknow: After two seasons of highs and lows with Uttar Pradesh, Nitish Rana has decided to return to his native state. The Rajasthan Royals batsman also received the no objection certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), which he had sought due to family commitments.
The 31-year-old Rana had moved to Uttar Pradesh in 2023 but did not have a very successful stint, either as a player or as captain. He had joined the Uttar Pradesh team in search of greener pastures and was even handed the captaincy, but failed to make the most of the opportunity.
The southpaw played 10 matches in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 447 runs in 15 innings at an average of 31.92. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he managed only 72 runs in 7 matches, averaging 18.00.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he again failed to make a significant impact, scoring 314 runs in 16 matches at an average of 22.42. With the ball, he took three wickets in 10 Ranji matches at an economy of 2.98. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he claimed 7 wickets in 7 matches with an economy of 5.31, while in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20), he picked up 8 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 6.64.
UPCA CEO Ankit Chatterjee said, "Rana applied for the NOC due to family commitments, and we issued it to him ahead of the upcoming red-ball season."
Earlier, Bagpat lad and experienced player Saurabh Kumar also took an NOC from UP and has decided to play for Andhra Pradesh in the upcoming season.
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