Nitish Rana shares his dressing room experience with Mitchell Starc: The Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled to begin on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) facing off against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The IPL committee has released the dates for the first 20 matches of the competition. As the days are getting closer, teams are preparing for the toughest T20 league in the world.
Delhi Capitals (DC) has already set up its camp to prepare for the IPL. Delhi-born cricketer Nitish Rana has finally returned home after spending most of his IPL career outside his birthplace. Before the players auction, Nitish Rana was bought by DC from Rajasthan Royals for Rs 4.20 crore.
My dream is to play IPL for Delhi- Nitish Rana
Nitish had a sensational performance in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) last season. He scored runs for entertainment and was thus selected by his domestic franchise. After joining the Captains, Rana shared his happiness while talking to Hindustan Times.
“I am very excited because it has always been my dream to play IPL for Delhi. Because I have played for Delhi since childhood. And this opportunity came late, but hopefully it will come in a good way. And I will perform well and help DC win the title,” Rana told Hindustan Times.
“Obviously, in the last two years, I played for UP in domestic cricket. Now, I have returned home for both the teams, domestic and even for the IPL. So, I am very excited. Also, I have a family here. So, this is also a very good moment for me.”
“Because being with the family, playing for Delhi, all that. When I started playing cricket, I thought about it. Now, it is coming true. So, I am very excited about it.”
But he is a very kind person – Nitish Rana on Mitchell Starc
Nitish Rana also shared his experience of playing with Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc. Both the cricketers were part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) camp for the IPL-winning season of 2024, and now the two will reunite in the Delhi Capitals dressing room. Therefore, they will try to improve the fortunes of KKR in Delhi and win their first trophy.
Nitish Rana on playing with Mitchell Starc: “People who don’t know Mitchell Starc, they think he is very aggressive. And that’s the only way he bowls. But he is a very kind person. Because I have shared the dressing room with him. And he is very soft-spoken. And he is a very nice person. So, I am very excited to play with him.”
Mitchell Starc was excellent for KKR in the knockout stage in the 2024 IPL as he won the Player of the Match awards in Qualifier 1 and the final for his excellent bowling performances and helped KKR win their third title. The experienced fast bowler joined DC in 2025 and bowled brilliantly, taking 14 wickets at an economy of 10.17.
Nitish Rana will continue his DPL form in IPL
In the 2025 edition of the DPL, Nitish Rana finished the season as the fourth-highest run-scorer of the tournament. He scored 393 runs in 11 matches and helped his team West Delhi Lions win the competition. Rana has said that he would like to continue his form in the IPL also.
He further added, “I have no other option. As a professional cricketer, I play cricket only for these reasons. And this should be my livelihood. And I am working hard for it. And my job is to focus on the process. And if the process is right, then the result will definitely be in my favour.”
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