The Delhi Premier League 2025 Eliminator between West Delhi Lions and South Delhi Superstarz at the Arun Jaitley Stadium turned heated. Tempers flared as Nitish Rana and Digvesh Rathi clashed during the high-pressure knockout clash.
Rana vs Rathi in the spotlight
The incident occurred in Digvesh Rathi’s over when the leg-spinner paused in his bowling stride against Rana. Rathi, known for similar antics in IPL 2025 with Lucknow Super Giants, smiled as he walked back. Rana was not pleased at all. On the next ball, Rana backed away as Rathi was about to bowl and hurled words at him, saying, “Chal dalta reh chal. (Keep bowling).”
Rana then smashed a reverse sweep for six and mocked Rathi with his trademark notebook celebration. This angered Rathi, who responded with unsavoury words. Rana charged towards the bowler, but players intervened to prevent matters from escalating.
Rana delivers match-winning knock
Nitish Rana silenced critics by playing a breathtaking unbeaten 134 off 55 balls. He powered West Delhi Lions to a seven-wicket win while chasing 202, finishing the job with 17 balls left. The win set up a clash against East Delhi Riders in Qualifier 2 on August 30.
Meanwhile, Rathi endured a forgettable outing, conceding 39 runs in two overs. His frustration boiled over as emotions dominated the contest.
Other heated exchanges
Earlier, Sumit Mathur and Krish Yadav nearly came to blows after a dismissal in the 11th over. Interestingly, Rana himself acted as peacemaker in that situation, pulling Mathur away from the heated moment.
Final word
Rana’s aggressive batting and leadership overshadowed the altercations, ensuring West Delhi Lions advanced in the Delhi Premier League 2025.
Stay tuned for all the Cricket News, Match Predictions, Fantasy Tips, and Cricket updates!