Nitish Rana’s Blazing Ton Powers West Delhi Lions into Qualifier 2

Nitish Rana in action. 

West Delhi Lions booked a spot in Qualifier 2, where they will face East Delhi Riders on Saturday

Rakesh Thapliyal

New Delhi: The West Delhi Lions roared into Qualifier 2 of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 after skipper Nitish Rana’s sensational century powered them to a thrilling seven-wicket win over South Delhi Superstarz in the Eliminator at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.

Chasing a daunting target of 202, the Lions suffered early hiccups with two wickets falling inside the powerplay. But Rana, leading from the front, joined hands with Krish Yadav to steady the ship. The duo stitched a crucial 97-run stand for the third wicket, which swung the momentum firmly back in the Lions’ favour.

Krish looked fluent in his 31 off 22 before being dismissed by Aman Bharti, but Rana carried on unfazed. The skipper unleashed his full range of strokes, mixing timing with power, and ensured the chase stayed under control. His match-winning ton, studded with crisp boundaries and calculated aggression, became the cornerstone of the Lions’ successful pursuit.

Earlier, the South Delhi Superstarz had posted an imposing 201/5 in 20 overs. Openers Anmol Sharma and Ankur Kaushik gave their side a flying start with a 67-run stand, but a mini-collapse saw them stumble to 78/3.

It was then that captain Tejasvi Dahiya and Sumit Mathur took charge. The pair added a magnificent 108-run partnership for the fourth wicket, rebuilding the innings with attacking strokeplay. Tejasvi played a captain’s knock of 60 off 33 before falling to Anirudh Chowdhary, while Sumit Mathur provided the finishing touch with an unbeaten 48 off just 26 balls, propelling the Superstarz past the 200-run mark.

But Rana’s brilliance with the bat ensured the Lions had the final say. With this win, the West Delhi Lions booked a spot in Qualifier 2, where they will face East Delhi Riders on Saturday. The winner of that contest will earn a ticket to the grand finale against Central Delhi Kings, setting the stage for a blockbuster finish to the tournament.