East Delhi Riders became the first side to reach the playoffs in Season 2 of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) following a convincing 21-run win over Purani Dilli 6 in Match 27, played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. The Riders now top the points table with six wins from eight matches, and will be playing their second consecutive playoff in Delhi Premier League.
Anuj Rawat And Arpit Rana Guide Riders Towards Win
Opting to bat first, East Delhi Riders registered a gritty total of 172/6 on the board. The innings was steadied by Arpit Rana, who hit a well-timed 64 off 47 balls, and skipper Anuj Rawat, who played a calm and unbeaten 59 off 36 balls. Their stand helped the Riders shake off early jitters and picked up pace in the last overs.
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The defining elements of the match were - smart strike rotation and strong hitting in the death overs. From Dilli 6's bowling, Dev Lakra and Aayush Singh took two wickets each, with one each for Rajneesh Dadar and Udhav Mohan.
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Navdeep Saini Shines
In support of their score, the Riders hit back early. Manjeet was caught on duck on only the second ball, and Navdeep Saini increased the pressure in the third over by getting rid of Kush Nagpal (1).
The only two top batters were Samarth Seth (41 off 30), Pranav Pant (29 off 25), and skipper Vansh Bedi (48 off 26), except for these Purani Dilli 6 never really gained traction. The Riders' bowling department, led by an incredible 3/21 spell by Navdeep Saini, was in command all the while. The strong performance helped stop Dilli 6 on 151/8 in 20 overs, leaving them 21 runs short.
This is the second consecutive team East Delhi Riders have secured a place in playoffs. They are currently the reigning champions and now Anuj Rawat led team will be eyeing another title win.