Nitish Rana and Digvesh Rathi engaged in a heated conversation during the Delhi Premier League Eliminator between South Delhi Superstarz and West Delhi Lions. The interaction was so intense that players and umpires had to intervene to cool down the heat. Speaking to the media, Nitish Rana finally broke the silence, saying he didn't initiate the altercation. Even though Rana didn't like to disclose what exactly happened, he didn't deny the fact that he won't encourage any nonsense on the field. Rana said, “It’s not about who’s right or wrong, he came to win the match for his team, and I came to win for mine. But respecting the game of cricket is my responsibility, and it’s his as well. He was the one who started it, I won’t say how or what happened, because that would be unfair." Rana added, “But yes, if someone pokes me or gets in my face, I’m not someone who will just sit quietly. Because this is how I’ve always played my cricket. If someone pokes me, and they think they’ll get me out by provoking me, then I can also hit back with sixes. What happened yesterday was an example of that." Read also: Pakistan registers 200+ T20I score in UAE, defeat UAE host by 31 runs What happened between Nitish Rana and Digvesh Rathi? The episode unfolded in the 10th over of West Delhi Lions’ pursuit of 202 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi. After conceding a boundary and a six on consecutive balls to Nitish Rana, Digvesh Rathi abruptly halted mid-delivery. Rana reacted by stepping back, which did not sit well with Rathi, leading to a brief exchange of looks and words with the West Delhi Lions captain. Following two dot balls, Rana capped the over with a reverse-sweep six to third man and mimicked Rathi’s signature notebook-style bat celebration, a gesture he has become infamous for. The tension escalated as the two players charged at each other, but prompt intervention from teammates and officials quickly calmed the situation. Rana went on to finish unbeaten on 100, steering his team to a seven-wicket victory. In the second qualifier, West Delhi Lions overwhelmed East Delhi Riders by eight wickets, booking their spot in the final against Central Delhi Kings on Sunday evening.