Nitish Rana set to return to Delhi in upcoming domestic season

Nitish Rana has decided to return to his original home state Delhi after spending two domestic seasons with Uttar Pradesh (UP). He has received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and is likely to make the switch before the upcoming domestic season.

"The experienced batter asked for an NOC and we have given it to him," UPCA's chief executive officer Ankit Chatterjee told ESPNcricinfo. "He mentioned family reasons for his decision."

Ashok Sharma, secretary of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), also confirmed that Rana had spoken to them about his decision and has already received the NOC from UP. "However, DDCA has not yet received a copy of his NOC. Only after receiving the NOC, we can say anything about the chances of him playing for Delhi," Sharma said.

Rana had played age-group and domestic cricket for Delhi until 2022. In 2023, he made the switch to UP and even went on to lead the side. However, his stint with UP was largely disappointing, and due to poor performances last season, he was dropped from the one-dayers and first-class cricket.

In the 2024-25 domestic season, he played four Ranji Trophy matches, scoring only 150 runs in six innings, including just one half-century. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20s, he scored only 111 runs in nine matches, with an average of 13.87 and a strike rate of 114.43. In the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, he got to play only two matches and due to his continued poor form, he was dropped from the team.

After that, he was also left out of the Ranji Trophy side when the second phase of the tournament started in January this year. Even in IPL 2025, before injuring his calf muscle, Rana scored only 217 runs in 11 innings with two half-centuries for Rajasthan Royals, struggling for consistency.

When he was not included in the auction for this year's UP T20 League, it became evident that he might not play for UP this year. Overall, he played ten first-class matches for them, scoring 447 runs, including one century and two half-centuries. Additionally, in seven List A matches, he scored 72 runs, and in 16 T20 matches, he accumulated 314 runs with two half-centuries. He also captained the UP team in six Ranji Trophy and four Vijay Hazare Trophy matches during the 2023-24 season, leading them to victory in one and three games respectively.

Rana's potential return to Delhi will be interesting, especially because during a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match last season, he had an on-field argument with Delhi's current captain Ayush Badoni which required an umpire intervention. There is also stiff competition for middle-order spots in the Delhi squad.

For now, if the DDCA accepts his NOC, Rana could feature in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) as well, scheduled for August.