Nitish Rana, a key player for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) since 2018, has joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR) after being bought for Rs 4.20 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah on November 25th.
Rana had been a consistent performer for KKR, contributing significantly to the team’s success.
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Despite his contributions, KKR chose not to retain him or actively pursue him during the auction.
KKR’s decision not to use their Right to Match (RTM) card to retain Rana surprised many fans and sparked considerable discussion.
Rana’s wife, Saachi Marwah, expressed her disappointment on social media following the auction.“Loyalty is very expensive; not everyone can afford it,” she wrote in social media posts.
Marwah’s post quickly went viral, with fans debating the importance of loyalty within IPL franchises and questioning KKR’s decision.
Rana marked his move to Rajasthan Royals by posting a picture of himself wearing a pink shirt on Instagram.“Royal-ty is Pink!,” he wrote on the image.
Rana and his wife also unfollowed KKR on Instagram, further suggesting a strained relationship with the franchise.
Rana’s move to RR comes with a significant pay cut.His new contract with RR is worth Rs 4.20 crore, almost half of his previous Rs 8 crore annual salary with KKR.
Nitish Rana, a consistent performer and a key member of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) since 2018, will now don the colours of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2025.
