Nitish Rana Addresses Confrontation with Digvesh Rathi in DPL 2025

Nitish Rana, captain of the West Delhi Lions in the DPL 2025, shared his perspective on the heated on-field exchange with Digvesh Rathi. The incident occurred during the Eliminator match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium between the West Delhi Lions and South Delhi Superstarz. The tension arose when Rathi pulled back as he was about to bowl, which Rana mirrored on the subsequent ball. Despite the mounting pressure, Rana struck a six in that over, seemingly escalating Rathi’s frustration. A verbal confrontation ensued, with Rathi voicing his displeasure, and Rana directly engaging the spinner. The situation intensified, necessitating intervention from players of the South Delhi Superstarz to separate the two. Rana stated that the focus should not be on who was right or wrong, but on the shared responsibility of respecting the game of cricket. He emphasized that he wouldn’t initiate conflict, but would respond if provoked. Rana also mentioned that he has been involved in many fights but has never initiated any. His upbringing instilled a belief in standing up for oneself, a principle he continues to uphold. Both Rana and Rathi faced fines for their conduct, with Rathi penalized 80% of his match fees and Rana with 50%.