In another trade ahead of the IPL 2026 retention deadline, Rajasthan Royals (RR) middle-order batsman Nitish Rana has been traded to Delhi Capitals (DC). The official confirmation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) came on Saturday, November 15 and Rana will join his state franchise.
Last season, the left-handed batsman played 10 matches for the Royals, scoring 217 runs at an average of 21.70 and an impressive strike rate of 161.94. In total, he has appeared in 118 league matches. He represented Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) before joining the Jaipur-based franchise.
Nitish Rana traded to Delhi Capitals for IPL 2026
IPL announced that Nitish Rana has been transferred from Rajasthan Royals to Delhi Capitals, his current price is ₹4.2 crore. Rana also captained Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023 during the injury absence of Shreyas Iyer.
“Left-handed batsman Nitish Rana will now represent Delhi Capitals (DC) after being traded from Rajasthan Royals (RR). He will remain at his current fee of Rs 4.2 crore, for which RR had bid in the auction ahead of the Tata IPL 2025 season.”
“Rana, who has played in more than 100 matches, took over the captaincy of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023 when Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury,” the statement said.
Rajasthan Royals may decide to move on from Nitish Rana…
Rajasthan Royals’ decision to move on from Nitish Rana could be to bring more continuity in the middle order. The management reportedly felt that Rana’s performances lacked the consistency required to carry the innings during the crucial stages of the tournament.
It is noteworthy that the team already has many left-handed batsmen. With Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran joining the lineup, the franchise decided to part ways with Rana.
Meanwhile, Shimron Hetmyer also had a modest performance in IPL 2025. He scored 239 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 145.73. However, the Royals could favor his finishing ability for the upcoming season. He is 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 Rajasthan Royals after completing a trade from 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) after a successful trade from Delhi Capitals (DC). As per the transfer agreement, his fee has been revised from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore,” the statement said.
Ferreira played just one match for Delhi Capitals in the recent season. The South African batsman scored 1 run and did not bowl in his only innings. 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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