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In an electrifying performance during the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 eliminator match, West Delhi Lions captain Nitish Rana showcased an exceptional display of batting prowess. Facing South Delhi Superstarz, Rana hammered a century in just 42 balls, propelling his team into Qualifier-2 of the league. His innings included a remarkable 15 sixes. Rana, who is slated to play for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, dominated the bowlers throughout the match. The game also saw a heated exchange between Rana and South Delhi Superstarz spinner Digvesh Rathi, escalating to a near physical altercation, the video of which quickly went viral on social media.
In the eliminator match held at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, South Delhi Superstarz batted first, scoring 201 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their 20 overs. In response, West Delhi Lions secured a victory with seven wickets remaining, with 17 balls to spare. Nitish Rana’s explosive century in just 42 balls defined the match, as he remained unbeaten with a score of 134 runs from 55 deliveries, which included 8 fours and 15 sixes. He targeted and took down all the bowlers of South Delhi. In one over against Digvesh Rathi, he smashed three consecutive sixes, with Rathi conceding 20 runs in that over. Besides Rana, wicketkeeper batsman Chris Yadav contributed 31 runs from 22 balls, hitting a four and three sixes. Mayank Gosain added an unbeaten 15 runs to the total. For South Delhi, Sumit Kumar Beniwal took two wickets, and Aman Bharti secured one.
Earlier, South Delhi Superstarz had a solid start with Ankur Kaushik (16) and Anmol Sharma building a strong opening partnership, scoring 67 runs in 44 balls for the first wicket. Kaushik was the first to be dismissed. At a score of 76, Kunwar Bidhuri was the second wicket to fall after scoring only 6 runs. Following this, Anmol Sharma was also out after scoring 55 runs from 39 balls, including 7 fours and 2 sixes. Captain Tejashwi Dahiya and Sumit Mathur then accelerated the scoring, taking the team to a competitive total. Tejashwi Dahiya scored a magnificent 60 runs from 33 balls with 2 fours and 6 sixes. Sumit Mathur contributed with an unbeaten 48 runs from 26 balls, including 5 fours and 2 sixes. Their batting performance helped South Delhi reach 201 runs for 5 wickets in their 20 overs. For West Delhi Lions, Ritik Shaukin claimed two wickets, while Shubham Dubey, Shivank Vashisht, and Anirudh Chaudhary each took a wicket.
