Ravichandran Ashwin openly picks side in Nitish Rana-Digvesh Rathi fight

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on the ugly fight between Nitish Rana and Digvesh Rathi during the Delhi Premier League (DPL 2025) Eliminator. Ashwin stated that the left-handed batter showed commendable character as he chose not to blame Rathi for the spat in his post-match remarks.

Tempers flared during the Eliminator match between West Delhi Lions and South Delhi Superstarz. Nitish Rana mocked spinner Digvesh Rathi’s signature notebook celebration after hitting him for a six. Rathi reacted angrily, leading to a heated exchange on the field. Both players were seen shouting at each other.

Teammates and match officials quickly intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further. Rana and Rathi’s clash grabbed attention on social media platforms.

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Respect for Nitish Rana Has Grown in My Eyes - Ravichandran Ashwin

However, Nitish Rana chose not to escalate the issue in his post-match comments. Rana stated that he would never back down if provoked, but refrained from directly blaming Rathi.

Ravichandran Ashwin said that it would have been easy for the batter to criticize the spinner. Ashwin added that his respect for Rana grew because of the way he handled the situation.

“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,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.

The Way He Handled It Was Amazing - Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin said that Nitish Rana focused on playing for his team while Digvesh Rathi was doing the same for his side. He added that Rana avoided the easy path of blaming Rathi, maintained sportsmanship, and deflected the question gracefully.

“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," Ravichandran Ashwin added.

"But he said 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 and deflected the question.”

My Respect for Nitish Rana Has Grown Multi-Fold - Ravichandran Ashwin

Nitish Rana scored 134 runs off just 55 balls to secure a dominant win over South Delhi Superstarz and guide his team to the tournament final. He continued his form in the final against Central Delhi Kings, scoring a crucial 79-run innings to help West Delhi Lions clinch the DPL title.

“My respect for Nitish Rana has grown multi-fold. As a spectacle, we all like to see this, but the matter of fact is that we don't have to character assassinate anyone. It showed the real character of the man. It is very easy to bring someone down when you are in the euphoria of a win. But he chose not to do that. He gave the right response, and that was amazing," Ravichandran Ashwin further stated.

Rana and Rathi were heavily fined by the DPL for their heated verbal clash. The left-handed batter was penalized 50% of his match fee for a Level 1 breach, while the leg-spinner faced an 80% deduction for a Level 2 breach of the league’s code of conduct.

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