In a dramatic moment at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Nitish Rana was controversially given not out by the third umpire during the clash between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings.
Rana, batting on 74 off 38 balls, appeared to be dismissed after Marcus Stoinis took a catch at deep square leg. As Rana began walking back and David Miller prepared to come in, the on-field umpire halted proceedings to review whether the catch was clean, given its proximity to the boundary.
While Stoinis’ reaction suggested a fair catch, replays showed his right foot brushing the boundary rope during the act. The third umpire overturned the decision, allowing Rana to continue his innings.
However, Rana’s reprieve was short-lived as Xavier Bartlett dismissed him in the 19th over. The 32-year-old had already made a significant impact, scoring a blistering 91 off 44 balls, including 11 fours and four sixes—his highest score in the Indian Premier League.
Rana also crossed the 3,000-run mark in the IPL, taking his tally to 3,021 runs at an average of 28.23.
Earlier, Rana shared a massive 220-run partnership with KL Rahul, powering Delhi Capitals to a staggering 264/2—the highest total of IPL 2026 so far. The stand is now the second-highest partnership in IPL history, behind the iconic 229-run partnership between AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli in 2016.
Rahul led the charge with a sensational unbeaten 152 off 67 balls as Delhi completely dominated the Punjab bowling attack. Despite Rana’s late dismissal, DC finished strongly, adding nine runs in the final over to set a daunting target.
Punjab Kings’ bowlers endured a tough outing, with only Arshdeep Singh and Bartlett managing to pick up wickets in an otherwise one-sided contest.
