![Nitish Rana Digvesh Singh Rathi and Rishabh Pant in frame [Source: Screengrabs]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1774977670437_NitishRanaDigveshSinghRathiandRishabhPantinframe.jpg?type=hq)
Nitish Rana Digvesh Singh Rathi and Rishabh Pant in frame [Source: Screengrabs]
The IPL 2026 is under full swing, and the mega clash of the Delhi boys in the Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals clash on April 1 is ready to set the stakes high. As both teams will play their inaugural match, Rishabh Pant, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Nitish Rana and Kuldeep Yadav met at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow during a practice session.
Interestingly, all of these boys are from Delhi and represent the city in domestic leagues and tournaments. As the players have a common bloodline from the same city, they engaged in a fun banter ahead of the IPL 2026 clash, with Nitish Rana and Digvesh Singh Rathi kicking out their earlier bitter memories from DPL 2025.
The Delhi Boys Banter Lights Up LSG vs DC Clash
On-field and off-field banter is a crucial part of the Indian Premier League. From the Virat Kohli vs Suryakumar Yadav cold death stare drama in IPL 2020 to the Kohli vs Gautam Gambhir spat in 2023, both fun and aggressive banter have spiced up the contest for more than a decade now.
Social media handles of these franchises tend to hype up the audience ahead of clashes, and Lucknow Super Giants' social media handle didn’t fail to keep up with the trend.
All four of these players, including Rishabh Pant as well as Nitish Rana, have represented Delhi in domestic tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Hence, the LSG vs DC rivalry has two Lucknow and two Delhi players who, at heart, are all Delhi-born, adding to the intensity of the fun banter.
Also Read- “Delhi Boys Don't Like”- Digvesh Rathi Fires Warning To Nitish Rana Before IPL Clash
The Delhi Connection And Rana-Rathi Patch Up
Pant, currently the captain of LSG, joined the franchise in 2025 after leading the Delhi Capitals for several years.
Meanwhile, Digvesh Singh Rathi has been a breakout spinner for LSG, who played under Pant’s captaincy. However, the elephant in the room was the spicy affair between Rana and Rathi, which seemed to have died down now.
What Happened Between Nitish Rana and Digvesh Singh Rathi?
The high-profile rivalry between Rana and Digvesh that exploded in the 2025 Delhi Premier League eliminator didn’t carry over into the IPL. For the unaware, the conflict began when Rathi abruptly halted his bowling stride as Rana was preparing to play a sweep shot.
After being interrupted, Rana responded on the next delivery by backing away himself. This led to a verbal spat, with Rana hitting Digvesh Singh Rathi for a reverse-sweep six immediately and mocking his trademark notebook celebration.
Delhi Boys Meet And Greet At Ekana Sees Rana-Rathi Bonding
However, this heat hasn’t been seen in the IPL, where the duo was spotted sharing a healthy laugh while chatting.
The video released on Lucknow Super Giants’ social media handle showed Nitish Rana playfully nudging Rathi and saying, “Phir tere saath baithna padega, aana padega tujhe,” indicating they are planning another meet-up in private.
The video also featured Pant pulling off his antics with Digvesh Singh Rathi, while Kuldeep Yadav later joined the trio for a hug and a friendly chat.
Lucknow Ready To Host Delhi At Home In IPL 2026
Delhi is set to face Lucknow at their home ground, the Ekana Cricket Stadium. It is important to note that Delhi have the edge in head-to-head stats, having won four out of seven IPL games against Lucknow.
Under new leadership, it will be interesting to see how this battle of brotherhood unfolds at Ekana on April 1 after a disappointing 2025 season for both these franchises.
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