Delhi Premier League T20, Match 25 Review: Solanki’s five-wicket haul keeps North Delhi Strikers’ campaign alive

North Delhi Strikers. (Source – DPL T20)

New Delhi, 01 September 2024: Siddhartha Solanki’s five-wicket haul helped North Delhi Strikers avenge their previous day’s loss to South Delhi Superstarz and keep their Delhi Premier League T20 campaign alive with a 61-run victory on Sunday at Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Yash Dabas’ 68 off 40 balls and Vaibhav Rawal’s unbeaten 56 off 34 powered North Delhi Strikers to a total of 209/4 in 20 overs. Solanki’s 5/19 with the ball led the North Delhi Strikers to bowl out South Delhi Superstarz for 148.

Already qualified for the playoffs, South Delhi Superstarz began their run chase of 210 at a blistering pace. Priyansh Arya, who had a memorable innings yesterday against the same opponent, couldn’t replicate his performance today and was dismissed for 26 off 9 balls in the third over by impact substitute Siddhartha Solanki.

Kunwar Bidhuri then took charge of the run chase, and he combined with Saurabh Deswal to take the team’s total to 85/1 by the end of the Powerplay.

Solanki wreaked havoc as he scalped as many as four wickets in quick succession to complete his five-wicket haul. He dismissed Deswal (16 off 11), Tejaswi Dahiya (0 off 1), Bidhuri (42 off 21) and Tarun Bisht (3 off 7) respectively, reducing South Delhi Superstarz to 101/5 after nine overs.

Dhruv Singh (13 off 9) and Vision Panchal (5 off 4) also fell cheaply, while Sumit Mathur kept one end intact. However, Mathur was also dismissed in the 14th over by Suyash Sharma after scoring 21 off 17, putting North Delhi Strikers in the driver’s seat.

Sharma trapped Raghav Singh (3 off 7) LBW in the 16th over, and Divij Mehra (13 off 10) was run out on the last ball of the over, resulting in South Delhi Superstarz being bowled out for 148.

With an aim to avenge their loss to South Delhi Superstarz from the previous day, North Delhi Strikers came out all guns blazing. Openers Vaibhav Kandpal and Sarthak Ranjan got them off to a flying start as they were 53/0 by the fifth over.

However, Raghav Singh provided the South Delhi Superstarz with a much-needed breakthrough, dismissing both openers, Ranjan (28 off 20) and Kandpal (24 off 13), in the sixth over.

Yash Dabas and Vaibhav Rawal continued the aggressive approach as they kept the scoreboard ticking at a quick pace. Their partnership helped the team cross the 100-run mark in 11.5 overs. Dabas reached his fifty in 33 balls in the 15th over, with the North Delhi Strikers comfortably positioned at 146/2.

Dabas, however, was dismissed for 68 off 40 by Divij Mehra, who also removed Yajas Sharma for a golden duck on the very next ball, reducing the North Delhi Strikers to 166/4 in the 17th over.

Rawal, who completed his fifty in 33 balls in the 19th over, smashed a flurry of boundaries in the final two overs. He, along with Yash Bhatia (26* off 12), helped the North Delhi Strikers post 209/4 in their 20 overs.

Brief Scores:

North Delhi Strikers beat South Delhi Superstarz by 61 runs

North Delhi Strikers 209/4 in 20 overs (Yash Dabas 68 off 40, Vaibhav Rawal 56* off 34, Divij Mehra 2/44, Raghav Singh 2/44)

South Delhi Superstarz 148/10 in 16 overs (Kunwar Bidhuri 42 off 21, Priyansh Arya 26 off 9, Siddhartha Solanki 5/19, Suyash Sharma 2/25)