Nitish Rana’s Ganguly Fandom Sparked Family Feuds
Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Nitish Rana has candidly revealed a humorous aspect of his childhood: his deep-rooted fandom for Sourav Ganguly often led to spirited disagreements with his family. The 31-year-old cricketer’s allegiance to Ganguly, a legendary figure in Indian cricket, created a battleground of sporting loyalties within his household.
A House Divided by Cricket Idols
Growing up in a family passionate about cricket, each member championed a different icon from India’s celebrated batting trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly. Rana’s heart belonged to Ganguly, the captain who led India to the 2003 World Cup final. However, his father was a staunch supporter of Tendulkar, while his brother favoured Rahul Dravid.
“Dad was a huge Sachin Tendulkar fan. I was a huge fan of Sourav Ganguly and my brother was a huge fan of Rahul [Dravid] sir. So, in our house, whenever India played, fights were inevitable,” Rana confessed on a FanCode podcast.
Childhood Disagreements
The competitive spirit surrounding cricket matches often escalated into heated arguments. Rana particularly remembers getting frustrated with his brother when Dravid performed well, as expressing criticism of Dravid to their father was off-limits.
“What used to happen with me, because it was the high point in Rahul sir’s career; since we couldn’t say anything to our father it would always be a fight between me and my brother that your favorite player did not score,” he explained.
Emotional Reactions to Ganguly's Performance
Rana's fandom extended beyond mere admiration; he experienced genuine emotional distress when Ganguly's performance fell short of his teammates'.
“I would get very agitated and cry in the room [thinking] ‘How could Sourav sir get out today? I had to get back at my brother today!’”
IPL 2025 and Recent Performance
Rana recently joined the Rajasthan Royals before the IPL 2025 season, accepting a significant pay cut from his previous contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite the reduced salary, he demonstrated his talent with a blistering 36-ball 81 against the Chennai Super Kings, earning him his first Player of the Match award for RR. He is now hoping to maintain this form in upcoming matches.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Who does Nitish Rana idolize? Nitish Rana idolizes Sourav Ganguly.
- Why did Nitish Rana join the Rajasthan Royals? He joined RR before the IPL 2025 season after accepting a pay cut.
- What was Nitish Rana’s recent performance like? He scored a blistering 36-ball 81 against the Chennai Super Kings.