The IPL 2025 mega auction brought sweeping changes to team rosters, with several prominent players finding new homes. Among the major talking points was Nitish Rana's departure from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after a seven-year association. The 30-year-old batter, who had been a vital part of KKR since 2018, was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals for INR 4.20 crore, marking the end of an era with his former franchise.
However, Rana's wife, Saachi Marwah, took to social media to express her disappointment, posting a cryptic yet sharp message on X (formerly Twitter): "Loyalty is very expensive, not everyone can afford it." While she didn't explicitly name KKR, the context was hard to miss. The post seemed to highlight Rana’s unwavering commitment to the franchise over the years and hinted at perceived neglect by the management.
Here is the post:
#nitishrana 👑 pic.twitter.com/0Q8PiVE5Zi
— saachi marwah (@MarwahSaachi) November 25, 2024
KKR broke bank for Venkatesh Iyer!
Adding to the intrigue, KKR made headlines for splurging INR 23.75 crore on Venkatesh Iyer, making him the third-most expensive player in IPL auction history. The decision to repurchase Iyer at such a high price, despite not retaining him initially, sparked debates among fans and analysts.
Rana's move to Rajasthan Royals comes with a financial setback. Previously earning INR 8 crore with KKR, the left-handed batter will now draw a significantly lower salary of INR 4.20 crore. The Royals, meanwhile, made Jofra Archer their marquee signing at INR 12.50 crore and aim to strengthen their lineup with Rana's versatility.
Here is how fans react to Saachi Marwah’s comments:
Loyalty is royalty when you don’t ridicule your ex franchise on social media which backed you for years.
— 🌷 (@hxxnx0) November 25, 2024
KKRians & SRKians has a special respect for Nitish, all will miss him for sure… but please don’t do like this 🙏🏻
— Sudhir Kothari (@sudhirkothari03) November 26, 2024
It’s unfortunate as Auctions are not easy, so be grateful and don’t hurt fans. Today or Tomo he might be back as Manish Pandey, so don’t end like this.
IPL is a business; you can't expect loyalty in business. As long as a product is profitable, it will be used and then discarded.
— Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) November 25, 2024
Rohit Sharma won the World Cup as captain after facing betrayal. Hoping for a similar comeback from Nitish Rana.
All Rohit Sharma fans are with you.
Did Nitish stop playing for Delhi when he was dropped?
— GAURESH MAHADIK (@Gaureshsm53) November 26, 2024
KKR would have picked him if his name had been called before Venky. Cuz of budget, KKR had to opt out.
KKR would bid for Rana next time but if this is the case you’re showing, even that will be difficult. KKR loves Rana.
No hard feelings mam @NitishRana_27 will forever be a knight. All the best to him and u.
— Kaun Bey? (@reddevildb007) November 25, 2024
Kkr family wishes you all the best in future endeavors ❤
You know mam, agr Nitish Rana first day auction m aaya hota to KKR use pkka le leti .
— Zayn Siddique ( SRK KA PARIWAR ) (@ZabraSrk) November 25, 2024
But JB so aaya tb Praise Bache nhi the purse me.
.aur slot bhut Baki tha bhrna...isle nhi Lia 🥹
Loyalty ka aachar dalna hain agar team main aise potential player ke khelne ka place nehi bacha to!Last year Rana was out of the team for entire season! Why kkr should waste him? It's good RR is giving him chance..player ko team me leke na khilanese konsa loyalty prove hoti hain?
— Kathakali Majumder (@m92576_majumder) November 26, 2024