BCCI Rule Prevents Nitish Rana to Take Part in DPL 2025

Just days before the big Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 auction, there is some big news surfacing on the internet. Cricketer Nitish Rana will not be allowed to play in this season’s DPL. Rana is a well-known name in Indian domestic cricket and has also been the former captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL.

Nitish Rana last played in the IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals (RR). He had a tough season as he scored 217 runs in the tournament. His average was just 21.7, which is below expectations. During his time with Uttar Pradesh, Rana played in several domestic matches. But he did not do well in the shorter formats like T20s. Let’s have a look at why Rana cannot take part in the DPL this year.

BCCI Rule Prevents Nitish Rana DPL Participation

Nitish Rana is not allowed to play in the DPL because of a BCCI rule. The rule is about switching between state teams. Rana recently came back to Delhi after playing for Uttar Pradesh (UP) for two seasons. He got a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the UP Cricket Association. This NOC allows him to play for Delhi again. But there is a problem.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has a rule known as the “cooling-off period.” This rule states that when a player switches state teams, he must wait for 12 months before playing in any local T20 league for the new state. Nitish Rana played in the UP T20 league just a few months ago. So, he has not completed the 12-month cooling-off period. That means that Nitish Rana DPL 2025 participation is ineligible.

A source from the BCCI spoke to Cricblogger about this. “Unfortunately, the 12-month cooling-off rule does not allow Rana to participate in the DPL this season. He has taken a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from UP and is eligible to represent Delhi officially, but he can only play the DPL next year,” the source said.
This statement makes it clear that even though Rana got permission from UP, he still needs to wait until next year to participate in the DPL.

Why is Nitish Rana Switching Domestic Teams Again?

In 2023, Nitish Rana moved from Delhi to Uttar Pradesh. He made the move to get more chances in domestic cricket, especially in red-ball formats. Rana even captained the UP team during his time there. However, he did not do well in white-ball formats. His performances in the shorter formats were not great, which is why he decided to return to Delhi.

Rana got a No Objection Certificate from UP. This NOC is needed when a player wants to switch back to his old team. Rana also informed the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) about his decision.
Ashok Sharma, secretary of DDCA, confirmed the news. He said Rana has spoken to them and has also taken the NOC. But Delhi has not received the official document yet. Only after the NOC is officially received can Delhi confirm his selection for local tournaments.
The UP T20 league and the Delhi Premier League (DPL) usually happen in the same season. Since Rana played for UP in their league just a few months ago, he is still inside the cooling-off period. That is why he cannot take part in the DPL this year.
Rana will have to wait for the 12-month period to end. Only then can he play in Delhi’s local T20 tournaments like the DPL. For now, he is eligible to play for Delhi in longer formats like the Ranji Trophy.