In the sixth match of the Indian Premier League 2019, played at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday, Nitish Rana scored his second consecutive half-century for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Ravichandran Ashwin-led Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). Rana completed his 50 off just 28 balls with six sixes and one four. After a slow start, the left-hander gained momentum and ended up scoring 63 off just 34 balls. Debutante Varun Chakravarthi got rid of Rana by bowling a googly that went straight into the hands of Mayank Agarwal. Before getting out he set the tone for KKR's high total.

In KKR's first match of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Nitish Rana scored 68 off just 43 balls with the help of three sixes and eight fours. His knock of 68 helped KKR register their first win in the 12th edition of the tournament. He now has an aggregate of 131 runs in just 2 matches of IPL. LIVE KXIP 25/1 in 3 Overs| KKR 218/4 in 20 Overs | KKR vs KXIP, Live Cricket Score of IPL 2019 Match: KL Rahul Departs on 1.

Rana made his debut in Indian Premier League for Mumbai Indians in 2016 edition against Royal Challengers Bangalore. But his association with Mumbai Indians did not last long and was dropped from the side. IPL 2019: Andre Russell One of the Most Powerful Hitters I Have Seen, Says Jacques Kallis.

Nitish Rana was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in the auctions in January 2018. He was retained by KKR after his satisfying performance in IPL season 11. He scored 300 runs at an average of 130 for KKR and he has started this season on a positive note and has proved his importance for the side.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 27, 2019 10:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).