Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Nitish Rana has tested negative for COVID-19, the franchise said in a statement on Thursday. The 27-year old is all set to join his teammates at the training camp.
Rana had earlier tested positive for the deadly virus just three days after entering the bio-bubble in Mumbai.
“Nitish Rana had checked into the KKR team hotel in Mumbai, on 21 March with a negative COVID report which was done on March 19. He was tested on 22 March, during his quarantine and the report showed that he was positive,” read the statement.
“He has had no symptoms and has been completely asymptomatic since. Again as per IPL protocol, he isolated himself and was tested again today. We are glad to report that he has tested negative. We expect him to start training with the team shortly and be fully fit well before the start of the season.”
Since making his IPL debut in 2016, the left-handed batsman has amassed 1437 runs in 60 matches at an average of 28.17. He has been among the most consistent run-getters of the tournament, aggregating over 300 runs in each of his last four seasons.
Rana’s negative report would have surely brought a massive relief to the KKR’s hierarchy as his inclusion adds great value to KKR’s batting line-up. Further, the talisman will be coming to the league in a rich vein of form, after topping the run-scoring chart for Delhi in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. He scored 398 runs with the help of a century and two half-centuries at a whopping average of 66.33.
Eoin Morgan-led KKR will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad, on April 11, to kickstart their proceedings in the 2021 edition of the much-awaited IPL.