Central Delhi Kings, after losing the toss and being put in to bat, managed a competitive score of 173/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Yugal Saini anchored the innings with a crucial 65 runs. Pranshu Vijayran contributed significantly, smashing an explosive 50* off 24 balls, pushing CDK to a challenging total.

For West Delhi, Manan Bhardwaj and Shivank Vashisht were the standout bowlers, each taking two wickets to restrict the Kings’ scoring.

The West Delhi Lions’ chase faced an early setback, losing three wickets in the powerplay, which put their title aspirations at risk. However, the determined Nitish Rana rose to the occasion, playing a brilliant innings of 79 off 49 balls. His performance was the cornerstone of West Delhi’s successful chase, as they reached their target with two overs to spare, finishing at 174/4 in just 18 overs.

Hrithik Shokeen provided excellent support to Rana, scoring an unbeaten 42 runs, as the duo led West Delhi to victory.

The game commenced with West Delhi Lions winning the toss and choosing to field. This decision proved to be the correct one, as their bowlers kept CDK in check and they comfortably chased down the target.

For West Delhi, it was a significant season in 2025. Last year, they finished in fifth place and missed the playoffs. This time, they not only reached the final but also clinched the coveted title in a thrilling manner.

Rana’s team, West Delhi Lions, secured a spot in the DPL 2025 final after winning both the eliminator and qualifier 2 matches. In an interview, Rana revealed that his ability to score a century and guide his team to the final was due to the power of the Hanuman Chalisa. He described experiencing a unique energy during batting, leading to a natural display of his skills rather than an intentional attempt to hit sixes.

In the eliminator match held at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, South Delhi Superstarz batted first, scoring 201 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their 20 overs. In response, West Delhi Lions secured a victory with seven wickets remaining, with 17 balls to spare. Nitish Rana’s explosive century in just 42 balls defined the match, as he remained unbeaten with a score of 134 runs from 55 deliveries, which included 8 fours and 15 sixes. He targeted and took down all the bowlers of South Delhi. In one over against Digvesh Rathi, he smashed three consecutive sixes, with Rathi conceding 20 runs in that over. Besides Rana, wicketkeeper batsman Chris Yadav contributed 31 runs from 22 balls, hitting a four and three sixes. Mayank Gosain added an unbeaten 15 runs to the total. For South Delhi, Sumit Kumar Beniwal took two wickets, and Aman Bharti secured one.

Earlier, South Delhi Superstarz had a solid start with Ankur Kaushik (16) and Anmol Sharma building a strong opening partnership, scoring 67 runs in 44 balls for the first wicket. Kaushik was the first to be dismissed. At a score of 76, Kunwar Bidhuri was the second wicket to fall after scoring only 6 runs. Following this, Anmol Sharma was also out after scoring 55 runs from 39 balls, including 7 fours and 2 sixes. Captain Tejashwi Dahiya and Sumit Mathur then accelerated the scoring, taking the team to a competitive total. Tejashwi Dahiya scored a magnificent 60 runs from 33 balls with 2 fours and 6 sixes. Sumit Mathur contributed with an unbeaten 48 runs from 26 balls, including 5 fours and 2 sixes. Their batting performance helped South Delhi reach 201 runs for 5 wickets in their 20 overs. For West Delhi Lions, Ritik Shaukin claimed two wickets, while Shubham Dubey, Shivank Vashisht, and Anirudh Chaudhary each took a wicket.

West Delhi Lions faced early setbacks in their chase of 166, losing two early wickets to Vikas Dixit and captain Harshit Rana, which left them struggling at 13/2. Krish Yadav, the wicketkeeper, attempted to stabilize the innings with 23 runs off 23 balls, but the required run rate continued to climb. Hrithik Shokeen played a remarkable innings, scoring 51 runs off just 24 deliveries, which included five boundaries and three sixes, supported by a 49-run partnership. However, the Strikers regained control as Deepanshu Gulia delivered a game-changing spell, claiming three crucial wickets. Harshit Rana then bowled a tight penultimate over, restricting the Lions and ultimately ending their innings at 154/8.

Batting first, North Delhi Strikers posted a competitive total of 165/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Sarthak Ranjan provided a strong start with 42 runs off 33 balls, while Arjun Rapria injected energy into the innings with a quickfire 40 off 22 balls, featuring three fours and three sixes. Contributions from Yajas Sharma (23 off 15) and Yash Bhatia (22 off 17) kept the scoreboard moving. Yet, the Lions’ bowlers consistently took wickets, preventing the Strikers from building a larger score.

Mayank Gusain stood out for West Delhi Lions, taking three impressive wickets while conceding only 2 runs in his single over. Despite his efforts, the Lions were unable to convert the pressure into a win.