DPL T20: Mayank Rawat’s All-Round Show Helps East Delhi Riders Register Second Straight Victory

New Delhi: Mayank Rawat starred with both and ball as East Delhi Riders secured their second victory in a rain-shortened match of the Delhi Premier League T20 at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. Rawat’s 2/15 with the ball and blistering 55 not out from 27 balls with the bat led the East Delhi Riders to a five-wicket win over Purani Dilli 6 in the fifth match of the tournament.

Batting first, Purani Dilli 6 posted 142/8 in their allotted 18 overs, but East Delhi Riders chased down the target in 16 overs. With the match reduced to 18 overs due to a delayed start caused by a wet outfield, Purani Dilli 6 set a target of 143 for East Delhi Riders on what was a tricky batting track.

East Delhi Riders started steadily, but Sujal Singh’s (18 off 14) dismissal in the 5th over left them at 38/1 at the end of the powerplay. Despite their flawless chase in the previous match, the East Delhi Riders struggled as they lost two crucial wickets in the sixth over, with Shivam Sharma trapping both Anuj Rawat (18 off 17) and Pranav Pant (1 off 2) LBW.

The pressure mounted when skipper Himmat Singh (6 off 9) was dismissed by Yug Gupta in the eighth over, with East Delhi Riders reeling at 47/4. Rawat and Hardik Sharma then provided some much-needed stability, helping the team cross the 100-run mark in the 12th over. However, Sharma lost his wicket in the same over for 25 0ff 19 balls, leaving the East Delhi Riders needing 41 runs in 30 balls.

Rawat then took charge as his late onslaught helped East Delhi Riders take home their second straight win of the season with two overs to spare. Earlier in the day, Purani Dilli 6 had a disastrous start as the East Delhi Riders’ bowlers ran riot. By the end of the 5-over powerplay, they were 46/5. Simranjeet Singh drew first blood in the second over, trapping Arpit Rana (10 off 5) LBW, and went on to scalp two more, removing Manjeet (15 off 8) and Keshav Dalal (0 off 1) in the fourth over.

Mayank Rawat then began his spell with two wickets, dismissing Sanat Sangwan (13 off 8) and skipper Lalit Yadav (0 off 2) in the fifth over. Harsh Tyagi struck twice in the ninth over, removing Vansh Bedi (9 off 16) and impact substitute Arnav Bugga (11 off 11), leaving Purani Dilli 6 struggling at 64/7 after nine overs.

Yug Gupta and Mayank Gusain then approached the innings cautiously, steadily taking the team’s total to the 100-run mark in the 15th over, during which they amassed 20 runs, including two sixes and a four. In their vital partnership of 70 runs, Gusain, who fell in the last over, contributed 35 off 33, while Yug Gupta, who remained unbeaten, scored 34 off 22 to guide the team’s total to 142/9 in 18 overs.