Nitish Rana credits DPL, DDCA for nurturing Delhi's cricket talent

New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): Indian cricketer and West Delhi Lions captain Nitish Rana praised the Delhi Premier League (DPL) for nurturing young talent, highlighting that several players have progressed to the Indian Premier League (IPL) and even represented India.

He also credited the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) for the league’s success and said stronger competition in Season 3 would help young cricketers develop further and benefit Delhi cricket.

The third season of the DPL will be held from July 31 to August 30. The player auction ahead of the new season took place on Wednesday.

Speaking to ANI, Nitish Rana said, “We have seen the kind of talent emerging from the DPL, the number of players getting selected for the IPL, with some even playing for India. A great deal of credit for this goes to the DDCA (Delhi & District Cricket Association). We want the competition to intensify so that the boys face tougher challenges and grow; that is excellent for Delhi cricket.”

Former selector and South Delhi Superstarz head coach Sarandeep Singh described the DPL as the second-biggest cricket league after the IPL, calling it a major platform for emerging talent. Speaking after the Season 3 auction, he said the team retained its core players, re-signed Tejaswi Dahiya, and added promising youngsters, including Pranav Pant, along with quality left-arm spinners and pacers to meet the squad’s requirements.

“After the IPL, the DPL is the second biggest league. I think it is a massive platform, and hopefully, it will be just as significant this season. Scouts always keep a close eye on the DPL. (In the auction) We had already retained our 7 best players. We got Tejaswi Dahiya back, which is a huge relief for us. We also picked up some young talent, like Pranav Pant. We’ve found good left-arm spinners and fast bowlers. We picked some excellent players who fit our specific requirements perfectly; we managed to secure almost all the targets we were aiming for,” he said.

On the upcoming India vs England five-match T20I series starting today, Sarandeep Singh said players should stick to an aggressive approach without overthinking. He also backed youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to get an early opportunity and make his India debut, saying it would benefit both the player and the Indian team.

Notably, Team India will enter the series on the back of a humbling 2-0 defeat to Ireland in the two-match T20I series.

“There’s no need to overcomplicate things; players should just play their best, aggressive game. Hopefully, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets the opportunity. The sooner he gets the opportunity, the better it is for the Indian team,” he said.

Coming to the DPL, the previous edition witnessed the Nitish Rana-led West Delhi Lions claim their maiden title after defeating Central Delhi Kings by six wickets in the final.

In the women’s competition, South Delhi Superstarz, led by Shweta Sehrawat, emerged champions after defeating Central Delhi Queens in the final.

Over the past two seasons, the DPL has established itself as one of the most prominent platforms for cricketers in the capital, bringing together established names and emerging talent from across Delhi’s cricketing ecosystem.

Several prominent cricketers will feature in the upcoming season, including India internationals and IPL stars Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma, Nitish Rana, Harshit Rana, Navdeep Saini, Ayush Badoni, Anuj Rawat, Priyansh Arya, Suyash Sharma, Digvesh Rathi, Mayank Rawat, Prince Yadav, Yash Dhull, Simarjeet Singh, Himmat Singh, Hrithik Shokeen, Sarthak Ranjan and others. (ANI)

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