New Delhi, Nov 22 (NationPress) Nitish Rana has been appointed as the new captain for Delhi in the upcoming 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, while wrist-spinner Digvesh Rathi has been left out of the squad for the competition starting on November 26.

Delhi is set to compete in Elite Group D alongside teams such as Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Saurashtra, and Tripura, with all matches scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad. Historically, the team has claimed the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy only once during the 2017–18 season under the leadership of Pradeep Sangwan.

This marks the first appearance of Rana for Delhi in the current domestic season after transitioning from Uttar Pradesh and not making it to the playing eleven in the initial phase of the Ranji Trophy, where the team struggled without securing wins.

Rana, who is also set to play for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026 following his transfer from Rajasthan Royals, showcased impressive performances in the 2025 Delhi Premier League, scoring 134 not out, 45 not out, and 79 not out, leading West Delhi Lions to victory.

Interestingly, during Qualifier 1 of the DPL 2025, Rana and Rathi were involved in a verbal exchange that gained traction online. Rathi had made a name for himself as an uncapped player for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025, taking 14 wickets at an economy rate of 7.59.

However, a disappointing performance in the DPL 2025 led to his exclusion from the Delhi squad, which was selected by the committee comprising Yashpal Singh, K. Bhaskar Pillai, and Manu Nayar, with input from head coach Sarandeep Singh, CAC Chairman Vijay Dahiya, and DDCA Secretary Ashok Sharma.

Veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma's selection depends on his recovery from an injury, with reports indicating he is undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI CoE facility in Bengaluru. Similarly, senior bowler Navdeep Saini is also facing injury challenges that affected his participation in the Ranji Trophy.

All-rounder Harshit Rana is also under consideration but may be selected for India's upcoming white-ball series against South Africa, which includes three ODIs and five T20Is. Opener Priyansh Arya and leg-spinner Suyash Sharma are expected to join the Delhi squad after completing their campaign with India A in the Rising Asia Cup, which ended in a disappointing semi-final loss to Bangladesh A.

Notable players in the squad include Ayush Badoni, Yash Dhull, Himmat Singh, Anuj Rawat, Harsh Tyagi, and Prince Yadav, along with emerging stars from the DPL like Arpit Rana, Sarthak Ranjan, Tejasvi Dahiya, Ayush Doseja, Money Grewal, and Simarjeet Singh. The squad is expected to travel to Ahmedabad on Sunday evening or Monday morning.

Delhi squad: Nitish Rana (captain), Priyansh Arya, Sarthak Ranjan, Ayush Badoni, Arpit Rana, Ayush Doseja, Mayank Rawat, Tejasvi (wk), Anuj Rawat (wk), Himmat Singh, Yash Dhull, Simarjeet Singh, Rahul Dagar, Yash Bhatia, Ankit Rajesh Kumar, Harsh Tyagi, Suyash Sharma, Prince Yadav, Money Grewal, Rohan Rana, Dhruv Kaushik, Aryan Rana, and Vaibhav Kandpal.