Nitish Rana could not have asked for a better homecoming. After two years away, the former Delhi captain returned to play in front of his home fans and showed why he is still one of the best. After a quiet IPL 2025 season with Rajasthan Royals, Nitish wanted to get back in form before the new domestic season. In the IPL, he hardly bowled, but for West Delhi Lions in the DPL, he decided to use his off‑spin and it paid off.

Nitish was the most economical bowler for his team, giving away only 18 runs in 3 overs, the same as Hrithik Shokeen. He also took an important wicket, removing Arpit Rana just when East Delhi Riders were looking settled. He mixed up his pace and bowled wide so the batters couldn’t attack him easily. Before the tournament, Nitish admitted he was unsure about returning to Delhi. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy because there’s so much talent here. I didn’t want to take someone else’s place or cause any problems,” he said.

After shining with the ball, Nitish showed his real strength batting. Chasing 81 from the last 10 overs, he walked in and changed the game straight away. He smashed 39 runs from just 15 balls, hitting cleanly and taking the game away from East Delhi Riders. He got out caught behind, but by then the job was done. West Delhi Lions won by 7 wickets with 15 balls left, giving their net run rate a big boost. For Nitish, it was a dream return proving he still has the skill, the power, and the love for the game.

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The East Delhi Riders were among the more strategic and balanced franchises at the DPL 2025 auction, held on July 6. With eight teams in the fray and a ₹1.5 crore budget, the Riders made calculated moves to assemble a squad that combines experience, youth, and flair. The team retained dynamic wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat for ₹21 lakh a smart decision, considering his consistent performances at both the IPL and domestic level.

In the auction, the Riders shocked everyone when they spent ₹26 lakh on middle-order batter Mayank Rawat, making him their most expensive purchase. Rawat is an exciting player with a strong local background and a propensity to win matches, as his aggressive batting demonstrates.

Young Unlimited and Future Stars add to the Riders' bench

Another purchase of note was India pacer, Navdeep Saini, bought for ₹10 lakh, whose raw pace and history could be important on the pace-friendly tracks in Delhi. We also have a number of domestic performers, which include Akhil Chaudhary (₹12 lakh), Arpit Rana (₹13.50 lakh), and Sujal Singh (₹19 lakh), who will help form a good middle core for the team that flexibility in the batting and bowling.

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The Riders also committed to some younger talents. All-rounders Rounak Waghela (₹6.25 lakh), Hardik Sharma (₹5.50 lakh), and Rohan Rathi (₹4 lakh) will provide balance and depth to the squad, young players like Vansh Jetly, Yashwardhan Oberai, and Kavya Gupta all under ₹4 lakh provides youth and energy to the squad.

The franchise also filled their squad out with a number of newer players who were picked for under ₹4 lakh, Ashish Meena, Ajay Ahlawat, Kunal Sharma, and Mrinal Gulati, emphasizing the franchise's goal of building raw Delhi talent.

Full Squad – East Delhi Riders (DPL 2025)

Retained: Anuj Rawat (₹21 Lakh)

Auction Buys: Navdeep Saini (₹10 Lakh), Akhil Chaudhary (₹12 Lakh), Mayank Rawat (₹26 Lakh), Arpit Rana (₹13.50 Lakh), Salil Malhotra (₹5 Lakh), Rounak Waghela (₹6.25 Lakh), Vansh Jetly (₹3 Lakh), Yashwardhan Oberai (₹3 Lakh), Sujal Singh (₹19 Lakh), Hardik Sharma (₹5.50 Lakh), Kavya Gupta (₹3.60 Lakh), Rohan Rathi (₹4 Lakh), Ashish Meena (₹1 Lakh), Ajay Ahlawat (₹1.10 Lakh), Kunal Sharma (₹1 Lakh), Rohit Yadav (₹4.20 Lakh), Mrinal Gulati (₹1 Lakh), Yuvraaj Rathi (₹1 Lakh), Shivam Kumar Tripathi (₹1 Lakh), Vaibhav Baisla (₹1 Lakh)