Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has spoken out on the heated altercation between Nitish Rana and Digvesh Rathi during the Delhi Premier League (DPL 2025) Eliminator, praising Rana for displaying maturity and sportsmanship in his post-match remarks. Ashwin highlighted how the left-handed batter refrained from placing full blame on Rathi despite the on-field clash grabbing widespread attention.
The incident occurred during the Eliminator between West Delhi Lions and South Delhi Superstarz. Tempers flared when Rana mocked Rathi’s signature notebook celebration after clearing the leg-spinner for a six. Rathi reacted sharply, leading to an exchange of words, shouts, and visible tension on the field. Umpires and teammates quickly intervened to prevent the confrontation from escalating further. The clash drew significant attention on social media, with fans debating the incident extensively.
In his post-match comments, Nitish Rana chose a composed approach. While acknowledging he would not back down if provoked, he did not directly blame Rathi for the confrontation. Ashwin, reflecting on the episode, said it would have been easy for Rana to criticise the spinner, but he admired how the batter handled the situation with grace and focus on his team’s performance.
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“I just want to say one thing: in our beloved sport, if a bowler does something and shows character, sometimes we are not willing to accept it. In this instance, maybe the fault lay with the spinner, but my respect for Rana has grown immensely,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
Ashwin further emphasised that both players were committed to their teams, and the key was that Rana did not take the easy route of assigning blame. “It was Rana’s day. He hit 15 sixes. When asked post-game what happened, he gracefully said the fault could have been his or Digvesh’s. He focused on helping his team win, while Rathi did the same for his side. That heat, that spirit, is what cricket needs,” Ashwin added.
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Rana’s outstanding performance continued in the final, scoring 79 runs to help West Delhi Lions clinch the DPL title. Ashwin remarked, “Respect for Nitish Rana has grown multi-fold. It’s easy to criticise someone in the euphoria of a win, but he chose not to. That was amazing.”
The DPL imposed fines on both players for their verbal clash. Nitish Rana faced a 50% deduction of his match fee for a Level 1 breach, while Digvesh Rathi incurred an 80% deduction for a Level 2 violation of the league’s code of conduct.
