West Delhi Lions Triumph Over Rain to Defeat New Delhi Tigers in DPL Showdown

The West Delhi Lions emerged victorious against the New Delhi Tigers, clinching a 15-run win via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in a rain-disrupted fixture of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) Season 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Lions, tasked with chasing down 139, experienced an early loss of Krish Yadav in the opening over. However, Ankit Kumar's brisk 25 off 14 balls, featuring four boundaries and a six, ensured they kept the scoreboard ticking before his dismissal in the fifth over.

As rain interrupted play in the eighth over, leaving the Lions at 61/2, Ayush Doseja and captain Nitish Rana remained unbeaten with scores of 13* and 8* respectively. Earlier, the match saw the New Delhi Tigers struggling to gather momentum against a disciplined bowling attack. After electing to bat first, the Tigers put up 138/8 in their 20 overs. Fans at Arun Jaitley Stadium witnessed a gripping contest as the Lions applied relentless pressure.

The New Delhi Tigers faced a setback as their top order crumbled early, with opener Shivam Gupta dismissed on the first ball. Vaibhav Rawal provided a semblance of stability with a calculated 64 off 50 deliveries. Meanwhile, skipper Himmat Singh added a steady 30 runs. Manan Bhardwaj spearheaded the Lions' bowling attack with figures of 3/12 in three overs, backed by Anirudh Chowdhary and Shubham Dubey, who shared four wickets between them. Despite late efforts by Lakshay Thareja, the Tigers could only muster a modest total before the rain hit.

(With inputs from agencies.)