West Delhi Lions win first DPL title over Central Delhi Kings

West Delhi Lions secured their first Delhi Premier League title on Sunday, September 1, defeating Central Delhi Kings by six wickets in the DPL 2025 final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Captain Nitish Rana starred with an unbeaten 79 as the Lions chased down a target of 174, completing the victory with Hrithik Shokeen unbeaten alongside him.

The final tilted dramatically several times. Central Delhi Kings, invited to bat, recovered from early trouble to post 173 for 7 in 20 overs after a late surge. At one stage the Kings were 78 for 6, but a resilient seventh-wicket stand of 78 between Yugal Saini and Pranshu Vijayran revived the innings. Saini finished 65 off 48 balls while Pranshu Vijayran struck a rapid, unbeaten 50 off 24 to give the Kings a competitive total, according to match reports.

West Delhi Lions began their chase poorly, reduced to 48 for 3 inside the fifth over when Simarjeet Singh and Arun Pundir picked up early wickets. The Lions steadied through a 42-run partnership between Rana and Mayank Gusain before Gusain fell for 15. Rana then combined with Shokeen to see the team home with an unbroken stand that neutralised the Kings’ bowlers. Shokeen made a...