Nitish Rana has voiced his determination to return to the Indian squad after an impressive showing in the 2025 Delhi Premier League (DPL). Rana guided the West Delhi Lions to their maiden title under his captaincy, sealing a six-wicket win over the Central Delhi Kings in the final.

In a post-match chat, Rana was quizzed on whether domestic leagues could influence decisions made by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. The current Rajasthan Royals (RR) player admitted that he prefers not to stress over issues beyond his reach, believing that such thoughts only add pressure.

“There are always plenty of things to consider, but as a player my focus is also on making a comeback for India. Thinking too much about it would put me under pressure. I chose not to worry about anything beyond my control. I concentrated on what I could do. I wasn’t paying attention to the outside noise, and honestly, I don’t even know what’s being said. You’d have to tell me what’s happening out there,” he said.

Rana first represented India in 2021, appearing in a solitary ODI and two T20Is on the Sri Lanka tour, but has been out of contention since.

“What do I really need to prove? Everything comes from the Almighty, so who am I to prove anything to others? But yes, this is special because it’s my first trophy as a captain. I’ve led sides many times before but never managed to lift a title. Deep down, I wanted to achieve that for myself, knowing I had the ability. I won’t claim that my decisions are superior, but I do trust my game awareness,” he added.