DPL T20: Skipper Himmat Singh Leads From Front As East Delhi Riders Extend Winning Streak To Four, Beat West Delhi Lions By Five Wickets

New Delhi: Captain Himmat Singh’s stellar unbeaten 65 off 47 balls propelled East Delhi Riders to a commanding five-wicket victory over West Delhi Lions in the 10th match of the Adani Delhi Premier League T20 on Friday.

The match saw West Delhi Lions post a challenging total of 182/9 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to a robust 73 off 44 balls from Ankit Kumar. Despite a rocky start to their innings, East Delhi Riders managed to chase down the target with one over to spare, driven by crucial contributions from Himmat Singh and Mayank Rawat.

East Delhi Riders faced a tough challenge early in their chase as they lost three wickets by the fifth over with only 40 runs on the board. Rohit Yadav dismissed Sujal Singh (1 off 6) and Hardik Singh (1 off 4), while Hrithik Shokeen claimed the wicket of Anuj Rawat (16 off 10) on his first delivery. Samarth Seth, who had been looking promising, was run out for 25 off 18, leaving East Delhi Riders at a precarious 74/4 by the end of the ninth over.

However, Himmat Singh and Mayank Rawat steadied the innings with a strategic 67-run partnership off 41 balls. Rawat’s quick scoring complemented Singh’s more measured approach, keeping the chase alive.

West Delhi Lions captain Shokeen broke the partnership in the 17th over, dismissing Rawat for 44 off 22 balls. The equation then stood at 43 runs required from the final 24 balls. With the pressure mounting, Himmat Singh accelerated his innings, leading East Delhi Riders to the target with a decisive performance in the penultimate over, bowled by Navdeep Saini. Singh’s match-winning knock ensured that East Delhi Riders remained the only unbeaten team in the tournament.

Earlier, West Delhi Lions struggled against East Delhi Riders’ disciplined bowling attack. They were reduced to 29/2 within the first four overs, losing Ekansh Dobal (0 off 1) and Vivek Yadav (12 off 8). Ankit Kumar and Krish Yadav steadied the innings with a crucial 82-run partnership off 53 balls, taking the score to 100 in the 12th over before Krish was dismissed for 25 off 26 balls.

Waghela’s double strike in his next over, dismissing Kumar and then Hrithik Shokeen (17 off 10), saw the score at 129/4 by the 14th over. Despite a late push from Tishant Dabla, who scored 14 off 6, and the team crossing 150 in the 17th over, the innings closed at 182/9. Simarjeet Singh shone with the ball for East Delhi Riders, claiming 3/19, and playing a crucial role in restricting the Lions.

With this win, East Delhi Riders extend their lead at the top of the points table, accumulating eight points from four matches. As the tournament progresses, their unbeaten record will be a significant factor in their campaign.

The next fixtures promise more excitement as teams continue to vie for top positions in the league.