In a last-ball thriller in the Delhi Premier League Season 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, East Delhi Riders defeated West Delhi Lions by a slim margin of 2 runs thanks to exceptional batting from Arpit Rana and outstanding captaincy from Anuj Rawat.
The West Delhi Lions came a heartbreakingly close chase of 159 on Sunday, but were only beaten by two runs, finishing at 156/7 in their 20 overs. The tenacious 44 from 39 balls by Krish Yadav and the explosive cameo of Ankit Kumar, who scored 42 runs from only 16 deliveries with two fours and five sixes, served as the cornerstones of the Lions’ innings.
However, the East Delhi Riders’ disciplined bowling—especially that of Mayank Rawat, who took 2/18 from his four overs, and Rounak Waghela, who took 2/23—proved to be the difference in the match’s dying moments.
Notably, East Delhi Riders are now at the top of the points table after their victory. As of right now, they have six games and nine points.
After being sent into bat by the West Delhi Lions, the East Delhi Riders earlier scored 158/8 in their allocated 20 overs. The first wicket fell for just 10 runs, giving the Riders an early blow. However, the innings was salvaged by Arpit Rana’s outstanding 71 off 47 balls, which included seven fours and three sixes, and Hardik Sharma’s strong 50 off 37 balls, which included two boundaries and four maximums.
Before a late collapse caused East Delhi to lose steam, Rana and Sharma had a dominant 102-run partnership, the highest of the innings. At the conclusion, Rounak Waghela gave a quick flourish and finished undefeated with 12 off six deliveries.
In the last overs, the West Delhi Lions bowlers put up a valiant fight, with captain Nitish Rana taking 2/31 and Manan Bhardwaj putting up a remarkable spell of 3/26 from four overs. Anirudh Chowdhary (1/22), Tishant Dabla (1/3) and Hrithik Shokeen (1/27) also helped with the ball.
East Delhi Riders: 158/8 (20); Manan Bhardwaj: 3/26; Arpit Rana: 71 (47); Hardik Sharma: 50 (37); and other brief scores
West Delhi Lions: 156/7 (20); Mayank Rawat: 2/18; Krish Yadav: 44 (39); Ankit Kumar: 42 (16).
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