Nitish Rana Poised for Delhi Comeback After Disappointing Uttar Pradesh Stint

Nitish Rana, the 31-year-old cricketer, is poised to rejoin Delhi for the upcoming domestic season, two years after his move to Uttar Pradesh.

Nitish Rana during an IPL match.

The former Delhi captain's homecoming follows a less-than-stellar season with Uttar Pradesh. " Apna ghar toh apna hi hota hai (Nothing comes close to your home)," revealed Sanjay Bharadwaj, Rana's childhood coach, highlighting the emotional pull of returning to his roots. Bharadwaj confirmed to TimesofIndia.com, "Yes, he will be playing for Delhi this season. I had asked him not to move out then also. He didn't have a great season with Uttar Pradesh. As a professional cricketer, you have too much pressure."

Bharadwaj further emphasized the strategic aspect of this decision: "It is a wise decision from him that he is returning to Delhi. This is where he has played all his cricket, right from the age-group level. He even got his first India call-up while playing for Delhi. It is a smart move," he stated, recalling his role in shaping the careers of other prominent cricketers like Gautam Gambhir and Amit Mishra.

Rana's performance in the 2024-25 domestic season for Uttar Pradesh was underwhelming. He only managed 111 runs in nine Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games. After scoring only 17 runs in two Vijay Hazare Trophy List A matches, he was benched. Following a string of poor scores, he was also dropped from the Ranji Trophy team, having scored 150 runs in four games.

While his return to Delhi doesn't automatically guarantee a spot in the team, he will participate in the second season of the Delhi Premier League (DPL), which will feature eight teams.

A source close to the situation revealed that when Rana requested a No Objection Certificate (NOC) in 2023, Delhi had urged him to stay. The source added, "This is not a dump station...He will have to earn his spot. There is no guarantee that he will get a chance right away."

Rana's performance in the IPL 2025 for the Rajasthan Royals was also subpar. Despite being bought for a significant Rs 4.20 crore, he only scored 217 runs in 11 games.

Adding another layer of intrigue to his return is the memory of a heated argument between Rana and Delhi captain Ayush Badoni during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarterfinals last year. The umpires had to intervene to separate the two players.