Nitish Rana and Rishabh Pant (PTI) Newest Delhi Capitals recruit Nitish Rana has revealed that a brief chat with Rishabh Pant played a key role in his decision to return to his home franchise ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League season.The veteran left-handed batsman will represent Delhi Capitals for the first time in his IPL career after being traded from Rajasthan Royals for INR 4.20 crore ahead of the auction. For the 32-year-old, the move marks a long-awaited return home as he grew up in Delhi and now gets a chance to play for his home team in the 19th edition of the league from March 28.
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Rana enters the season after a successful campaign in the Delhi Premier League last year where he scored runs and emerged as one of the most outstanding batsmen in the competition. With confidence on his side, he will now look to replicate that form in the IPL.In a video shared by Delhi Capitals, Rana revealed that Pant was the only person he consulted before deciding to join the franchise.“There was only one person I asked if I should join Delhi Capitals or not and that was Rishabh. He has played a lot for the franchise and was also the captain of the team. He knows all the ins and outs of the setup. At that moment I felt he was the right person to ask if the decision I was about to make in my life was the right one because he also understands me very well.”Rana added that Pant’s response came almost immediately and left him in no doubt about the move.“He answered in three seconds. He told me that nothing could be better for you than this. Just say yes quietly. I still remember his words exactly, they lasted only three seconds. After that, I never spoke about the matter again. What he said was enough, and then I signed with the Delhi Capitals.”Rana has enjoyed a long IPL journey, previously representing Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. His most notable stint came with Kolkata Knight Riders from 2018 to 2024 where he became a key member of the side. He even captained the team in the absence of Shreyas Iyer in 2023 and later played a role in their winning campaign in 2024.
