Follow UsRajasthan Royals (RR) batter Nitish Rana produced a sensational all-round performance to guide West Delhi Lions to a six-wicket win over Central Delhi Kings in the final of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025.
Rana first made an impact with the ball, returning 1/16 in four overs of tidy offspin, before unleashing a blistering unbeaten 79 off 49 balls to seal the chase. His knock, laced with four fours and seven sixes, helped West Delhi overhaul Central Delhi’s target of 174 with two overs to spare.
Earlier, Central Delhi posted 173/7 in their 20 overs, courtesy of Yugal Saini’s 65 (48) and Pranshu Vijayran’s 50* (24). In reply, West Delhi suffered early setbacks, losing Krish Yadav and Ayush Doseja inside two overs. Even Ankit Kumar’s quickfire 20 off 11 ended in the powerplay, leaving the Lions wobbling.
That’s when Rana took charge. He stitched a 42-run stand with Mayank Gusain (15 off 11) for the fourth wicket, and then forged an unbeaten 85-run partnership with Hrithik Shokeen (42* off 27) to complete the job in style.
The innings capped off a remarkable turnaround for Rana, who endured a lean IPL 2025 with 217 runs in 11 innings at 21.7 and struggled in the DPL 2025 league stage with 135 runs in eight innings. But when it mattered most, the southpaw elevated his game in the playoffs.
In the Eliminator, he blasted 134* off 55 balls, a knock spiced with a heated altercation with Digvesh Rathi. Then in Qualifier 2, he anchored the chase with a calm 45* off 26. And in the final, he once again stood tall with a match-winning half-century. In all, Rana piled up 258 runs in the playoffs at a strike rate of 198.5 without being dismissed even once.
The 31-year-old, who last played for India in 2021 (1 ODI, 2 T20Is), has now sent a strong reminder to the selectors. With the T20 World Cup scheduled in February 2026, his DPL heroics may just reopen the door for a national comeback.