MUMBAI INDIANS batsman Nitish Rana has credited iconic Sachin Tendulkar, coach Mahela Jayawardane and skipper Rohit Sharma for helping him overcome his mental block.
Rana, who struck a vital half century off 29 balls to guide the home side to nail-biting win against Kolkata Knight Riders, said that the environment in the dressing room has made a lot of difference to his confidence. As reported by IndianExpress, the promising youngster said,
“The environment made a lot of difference. When I came here, I interacted with a lot of senior players, (the coach) Mahela Jayawardane, Sachin sir (Sachin Tendulkar), Rohit bhai (Rohit Sharma). I also spoke to Gautam Gambhir, I was mentally disturbed and thinking too much. I spoke to them and expressed myself about what had happened in the Ranji season, they shared their experience which helped me.”
Rana’s 45-run knock also helped MI to chase Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 159 target. The 23-year-old said that his 34 against RPS in the first game of IPL 10 assisted him in clearing his mind.
“There was no problem in the technique. I wasn’t able to play my game and could not enjoy. After I failed once-twice, I had gone into a shell. After coming here, my mind was clear, the practice and the first game went well, slowly (things started improving).”