West Delhi Lions charged into the grand final of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 after delivering an easy eight-wicket win over the East Delhi Riders in Qualifier 2 at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday. Lions easily chased a modest total of 140 as both Nitish Rana and Ayush Doseja handled the innings.
Early Wickets But Lions Bounce Back
The pursuit did not start on a good note for the Lions, as opener Ankit Kumar was dismissed cheaply by Rohit Yadav for only 2 runs. Krish Yadav and Ayush Doseja, however, introduced solidity to the innings, forming a vital 39-run partnership for the second wicket. Krish was in attacking spirit, making 37 from 25 balls, laced with boundaries, before being caught by Kavya Gupta off Mayank Rawat.
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Doseja and Rana Seal the Deal
After Krish Yadav got dismissed, Ayush Doseja stabilized the innings nicely, forging a solid partnership with captain Nitish Rana. The pair made sure there were no further hiccups, leading the team to triumph with an unbroken stand. Doseja played the role of the stabilizer, scoring a measured 54* off 49 balls, while Rana provided the flourish, smashing a quickfire 45* off 26 to finish the game in style. Mayank Rawat was the pick of the bowlers for East Delhi, conceding just 19 runs in his four overs and picking up a wicket.
Riders Struggle with the Bat
Earlier during the day, the East Delhi Riders struggled with the bat. Hardik Sharma was dismissed by Shubham Dubey for 1, leaving them on the back foot right from the beginning. There was a bit of consolidation that followed through a 40-run partnership between Arpit Rana and Sujal Singh, but the Lions continued to chip away. Tishant Dabla sent Sujal packing for 18, and then went on to dismiss the crucial wicket of Arpit, who had battled his way to a determined 50 off 38 balls.
The Lions’ bowling effort was right on target during the innings. Manan Bhardwaj set the tone with 3/22 from his entire quota of four overs, while Dabla chipped in admirably with 2/18 off three. Anirudh Chowdhary also played significant role, picking up 2/28. While Rounak Waghela contributed a useful unbeaten 24 off 17 in the last overs, it was not enough to drive the Riders to a competitive score, as they finished up on 139/8.
