New Delhi Tigers produced a scintillating all-round performance to register a comprehensive 8-wicket victory over North Delhi Strikers in their Delhi Premier League (DPL) clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Batting first, the Strikers struggled right from the start as they lost wickets in quick succession, slipping to 54/6 inside 12 overs. But Vaibhav Kandpal and Arjun Rapria came to the rescue with a fighting 58-run stand for the seventh wicket. Rapria’s innings of 29 (24) kept the scoreboard ticking, while Kandpal played a spirited knock of 45 (32), but their efforts only managed to take the side to 124/9 in 20 overs.
For the Tigers, Yashjeet was the star of the show, delivering a dream spell of 4/15 in his four overs. He was ably supported by Pankaj Jaswal (2/28) and Pradyuman Sanan (2/22), who kept the pressure on from both ends.
Chasing 125, the Tigers had a shaky start as Shivam Gupta fell on the very first ball of the innings, dismissed by Harshit Rana. However, the setback didn’t deter them as skipper Himmat Singh and Lakshay Thareja took charge with a fluent 78-run partnership for the second wicket. Himmat played a captain’s knock of 46 (25), laced with crisp strokes all around the park.
After his dismissal, Lakshay Thareja (42* off 31) ensured the chase remained on track, combining with Vaibhav Rawal (27* off 22) to take the Tigers home. The duo’s unbeaten 47-run stand sealed the deal and underlined the Tigers’ dominance on the night.
Brief Scores:
North Delhi Strikers: 124/9 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Kandpal 45, Arjun Rapria 29; Yashjeet 4/15, Pankaj Jaswal 2/28, Pradyuman Sanan 2/22)
New Delhi Tigers: 125/2 in 17.3 overs (Himmat Singh 46, Lakshay Thareja 42*, Vaibhav Rawal 27*; Harshit Rana 1/25)
