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"Respect For Rana Has Grown": R Ashwin On DPL Bust-Up With Digvesh Rathi

Jatin

R Ashwin reacts to Nitish-Digvesh DPl fight [Source: @vinod_cricinfo, @cricketimpluse/x.com]R Ashwin reacts to Nitish-Digvesh DPl fight [Source: @vinod_cricinfo, @cricketimpluse/x.com]

The Eliminator of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) had fireworks both with the bat and between players. West Delhi Lions skipper, Nitish Rana lit up the night with a monstrous 134 off 55 balls, smashing 15 sixes to help his side chase down 202.

Ashwin Praises Rana After Clash With Rathi

But what made more noise than even those massive sixes was his heated bust-up with South Delhi Superstarz’s spinner Digvesh Rathi. The two had a few words in the middle before Rana cheekily pulled off Rathi’s trademark “notebook celebration” after sending him into the stands.

That sparked a confrontation that nearly boiled over into something physical. Both players were fined with Rathi copping 80% of his match fee for a Level 2 breach, while Rana lost 50% for Level 1.

India’s spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin has now had his say on the drama. Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin praised Rana for the way he handled things once the dust settled.

"I just want to say one thing, in our beloved sport, if a bowler does something, if he emerges as a character, we are not willing to accept that. Maybe in the case of this fight between Nitish Rana and Rathi, the fault would lie with the spinner. But the respect for Rana has grown in my eyes," Ashwin said.

Ashwin added:

"It was Rana’s day. He hit 15 sixes. After the game, he was asked ‘What happened?’ The way he handled it was amazing. He said the fault could have been his or Digvesh’s. But he said that he was playing to help his team win, and Digvesh was doing that for his team. That spirit and heat are needed to play this game. It was easy for him to throw dirt on Digvesh Rathi, but he didn’t do it; he deflected the question."

Rana Explains His Side

Nitish Rana too spoke after the match, choosing not to escalate matters. 

“We were both trying to win the match for our respective teams, but above all, we both have to respect the game of cricket. He was the one who initiated things—though I won’t go into how. But if someone tries to provoke me, I won’t just take it quietly. That’s how I’ve played my cricket throughout. I can also hit sixes and respond in kind. I’ve been involved in many fights, but I’ve never been the one to start them. However, if someone tries to poke me, I will give a proper response,” he told PTI.

Rana Has The Last Laugh

At the end of the day, Rana let his bat do the talking. His whirlwind knock not only overshadowed the fight but also knocked Rathi’s team out of the tournament. West Delhi then carried that momentum, beating East Delhi Riders in Qualifier 2 and Central Delhi Kings in the final to seal the title.