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Delhi Premier League 2025 Eliminator match between West Delhi Lions and South Delhi Superstarz erupted into chaos when captain Nitish Rana and spinner Digvesh Rathi engaged in a heated on-field altercation that sent shockwaves through the cricketing community. Now, Rana has opened up about the incident, revealing his side of the story while maintaining his stance that he was merely defending himself against provocation.
The dramatic confrontation occurred during the second innings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on August 29, when tensions between the two players boiled over in spectacular fashion. What began as tactical mind games quickly escalated into an ugly verbal spat that required intervention from teammates and umpires.
Nitish Rana opens up on verbal spat with Digvesh Rathi during DPL 2025 clash
The incident unfolded during Rathi’s over when the leg-spinner pulled out of his bowling stride as Rana prepared for a sweep shot. In typical tit-for-tat fashion, Rana responded by backing away just as Rathi was about to deliver the next ball. The real fireworks began when Rana executed a perfectly timed reverse sweep for six, then mockingly mimicked Rathi’s trademark notebook celebration using his bat.
This provocative gesture proved to be the final straw for Rathi, who responded with harsh words that prompted Rana to charge toward him aggressively. The situation quickly deteriorated as both players exchanged heated remarks, forcing teammates and officials to rush in and prevent the confrontation from escalating into a physical altercation.
Rana’s response to the incident has been measured yet firm. Speaking during a media interaction, he stated: “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.”
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Rana’s take behind ugly spat with Digvesh Rathi
Rather than backing down from his actions, Rana has doubled down on his approach, explaining his philosophy of never initiating confrontations but always standing up for himself when provoked.
“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,” Rana added.
The West Delhi Lions captain emphasized that his upbringing has shaped his confrontational style, noting: “My parents taught me that if you’re not wrong, then you should stand up for yourself and that’s exactly what I do, and I’ll keep doing it in the future too.”
He further clarified his position by stating that “The one who starts it, it’s in their hands to end it. I’ve been in many fights so far, it’s not like I haven’t. But till today, I’ve never initiated anything.”
The incident had significant consequences for both players, with the Delhi Premier League officials imposing heavy fines. Rathi received the harsher punishment, losing 80% of his match fees for conduct contrary to the spirit of the game, while Rana was fined 50% of his match fees for using obscene, offensive, or insulting gestures during the match. Additional penalties were also imposed on other players involved in separate altercations during the same match.
Despite the controversy, Rana channelled his aggression into a phenomenal performance, scoring an unbeaten 134 off just 55 balls with 15 sixes to help West Delhi Lions chase down the target of 202 with seven wickets and 17 balls to spare. This explosive innings not only secured victory but also propelled his team into the final, where they will face Central Delhi Kings on August 31.
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