Nitish Rana leaves Rajasthan Royals, Donovan Ferreira also leaves, IPL Trade confirmed
Published - 15 Nov 2025, 10:23 AM | Updated - 15 Nov 2025, 10:43 AM
In yet another trade ahead of the IPL 2026 retention deadline, Rajasthan Royals (RR) middle-order batter Nitish Rana has been traded to Delhi Capitals (DC). The official confirmation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) came out on Saturday, November 15, and Rana will join his state franchise.
Last season, the left-handed batter played 10 matches for the Royals, scoring 217 runs at an average of 21.70 and an impressive strike rate of 161.94. Overall, he has featured in 118 league matches. He represented the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) before joining the Jaipur-based franchise.
Nitish Rana Traded to Delhi Capitals for IPL 2026
The IPL announced that Nitish Rana has been traded from the Rajasthan Royals to the Delhi Capitals, with his existing price of ₹4.2 crore. Rana also captained the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023 during Shreyas Iyer’s injury absence.
"Left-handed batter Nitish Rana will now represent Delhi Capitals (DC) following a trade from Rajasthan Royals (RR). He will continue at his existing fee of INR 4.2 crore, which RR had bid for at the auction ahead of the TATA IPL 2025 season."
"Rana, who has featured in over 100 games, captained Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023 when Shreyas Iyer was sidelined due to injury," the statement read.
Rajasthan Royals’ Decision to Move On From Nitish Rana May Be to Bring...
Rajasthan Royals’ decision to move on from Nitish Rana may be to bring more consistent in the middle order. The management reportedly felt that Rana’s performances had lacked the consistency needed to anchor the innings during crucial phases of the tournament.
Notably, the team already has many left-handed batters. With Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, and Sam Curran all featuring in the lineup, the franchise decided to part ways with Rana.
Meanwhile, Shimron Hetmyer also had a modest outing in IPL 2025. He scored 239 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 145.73. However, the Royals may back his finishing ability for the upcoming season. He has been working closely with head coach Kumar Sangakkara.
Donovan Ferreira Traded to Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2026
The IPL also confirmed that Donovan Ferreira will play for the Rajasthan Royals after completing a trade from the Delhi Capitals. His fee has been increased from ₹75 lakh to ₹1 crore.
"All-rounder Donovan Ferreira will return to his first franchise, Rajasthan Royals (RR), following a successful trade from Delhi Capitals (DC). As per the transfer agreement, his fee has been revised from INR 75 lakh to INR 1 crore," the statement added.
Ferreira played just one match for the Delhi Capitals in the recent season. The South African batter scored 1 run and didn't bowl in his only outing. Overall, he has played 3 matches in the IPL, scoring 9 runs at an average of 3 and a strike rate of 64.29. He recently led the Proteas during the Pakistan tour.
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