If there is one constant in Delhi cricket, it’s that the high-stakes games rarely pass without a controversy. The Eliminator of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 between West Delhi Lions and South Delhi Superstarz was no different. While Nitish Rana’s explosive 134* off 55 balls powered West Delhi into the Qualifier, the contest will always be remembered for his heated altercation with young spinner Digvesh Rathi.
The video of their face-off where Rana smashing a six, mocking Rathi with his “notebook celebration,” and then walking towards him with words exchanged has since gone viral. Following the event, another altercation broke out between other players, namely Krish Yadav and Sumit Mathir. Now, for the first time, the West Delhi skipper has opened up on what exactly went down at the Arun Jaitley Stadium that night.
“If someone pokes me, I hit back with sixes”
Speaking to reporters after Qualifier 2, Nitish revealed that it was Rathi who triggered the spat but stopped short of sharing the details.
“It’s not about who’s right or wrong, he came to win the match for his team, and I came to win for mine. But respecting the game of cricket is my responsibility, and it’s his as well. He was the one who started it, I won’t say how or what happened, because that would be unfair”
“But yes, if someone pokes me or gets in my face, I’m not someone who will just sit quietly. Because this is how I’ve always played my cricket. If someone pokes me, and they think they’ll get me out by provoking me, then I can also hit back with sixes. What happened yesterday was an example of that,” Nitish said. Both players were fined by the DDCA as well after the ugly episode.
While the spat grabbed headlines, Rana has let his bat do most of the talking. His whirlwind 134* not only eliminated South Delhi but also showed why he is one of the best talents in Delhi cricket. After two poor seasons with UP, Rana returned to Delhi just in time before the DPL. He backed it up in Qualifier 2 with a brisk 45* off 26 balls to help West Delhi Lions storm into the final.
They will now meet Central Delhi Kings in the title clash on August 31 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. With Rana in red-hot form, and still fired up from his latest on-field run-in, the Lions will hope their captain takes them through to the trophy. However, a fiery pace attack of Central Delhi, involving Simarjeet Singh, Money Grewal and Gavnish Khurrana awaits.
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