West Delhi Lions beat New Delhi Tigers by 15 runs via DLS in rain-hit match

Rakesh Thapliyal

New Delhi: West Delhi Lions defeated New Delhi Tigers by 15 runs as per the DLS method in a rain-interrupted match of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) Season 2 on Saturday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here.

Chasing a modest total of 139 runs, the Lions lost Krish Yadav in the first over of their innings, however Ankit Kumar kept the scoreboard ticking as he smashed 25 off 14, including 4 fours and a six, before departing in the fifth over.

Notably, Ayush Doseja (13*) and captain Nitish Rana (8*) were in the middle with scoreboard reading 61/2 when rain decided to play spoilsport in the eighth over.

Earlier, the New Delhi Tigers posted a total of 138 for 8 in 20 overs after they were asked to bat first. The match, witnessed by enthusiastic fans at the iconic venue, showcased disciplined bowling from the Lions in the first innings of a high-stakes contest.

New Delhi Tigers struggled to build momentum as the top order collapsed in the initial overs. Vaibhav Rawal anchored the innings with a composed 64 off 50 balls, punctuated by 5 boundaries and 2 sixes. Captain Himmat Singh contributed 30 runs from 30 deliveries, providing stability in the middle order.

Early wickets fell quickly, with opener Shivam Gupta bowled for a duck on the very first ball, followed by Parth Bali and Dhruv Kaushik also departing within the powerplay. The Lions’ bowling attack, spearheaded by Manan Bhardwaj (3/12 in 3 overs), was relentless, while Anirudh Chowdhary (2/26) and Shubham Dubey (2/25) complemented the effort with timely breakthroughs to restrict the Tigers.

Despite late resistance from Lakshay Thareja (13* off 9 balls), the Tigers concluded their innings with a modest total.

Brief Scores:

New Delhi Tigers 138/8 (20 overs): Vaibhav Rawal 64 (50), Himmat Singh 30 (30), Manan Bhardwaj 3/12.

West Delhi Lions: 61/2 (7.1 overs): Ankit Kumar 25 (14), Ayush Doseja 13 (15), Parth Bali 1/5.