The second quarter-final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 witnessed an intense clash between Nitish Rana and Ayush Badoni at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Rana, a former Delhi player now representing Uttar Pradesh, got into a heated altercation with Badoni, the current Delhi skipper.
The tension began brewing when Ayush Badoni walked to the crease but escalated dramatically during the 13th over of Delhi’s innings. After Badoni flicked one of Rana’s deliveries to midwicket, Rana reportedly commented provocatively. The Delhi skipper was quick to respond, leading to a face-to-face standoff that required intervention from the on-field umpire to defuse the situation.
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This fiery exchange isn’t new for Nitish Rana, who has a history of on-field altercations. A similar incident occurred during IPL 2023 when Hrithik Shokeen, another Delhi player, gave Rana a send-off, prompting an animated reaction from then Kolkata Knight Riders captain.
— Sunil Gavaskar (@gavaskar_theman) December 11, 2024
In this match, however, Rana’s contributions were limited. During UP’s chase of 194, Badoni had the last laugh, dismissing Rana for just two runs off three balls. Despite a valiant effort, UP was bowled out for 174, falling short of Delhi’s target. The star of the match was Delhi’s wicketkeeper-batter, Anuj Rawat, whose blistering 73 off 33 balls earned him the Player of the Match award.
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Reflecting on his performance, Anuj Rawat said, “I knew if I stayed till the end, I could capitalize. The wicket was excellent for batting, and Badoni encouraged me to keep showing intent.” Badoni acknowledged Rawat’s impact but emphasized their bowling execution, stating, “With our bowling, 193 should’ve been enough. Injuries to our pacers are a concern, and we hope they recover soon.”
Delhi now advances to face Madhya Pradesh in the semi-finals on December 13, while Uttar Pradesh has now made an exit from the tournament.
