NDS vs ODW, Review । Arjun Rapria's match-winning over helps North Delhi Strikers beat Outer Delhi Warriors by 19 runs

ByUmesh Sharma,SportsCafe Editor

08/07/2025

North Delhi Strikers registered their first success in the ongoing Delhi Premier League 2025, with a 19-run win against the Outer Delhi Warriors in the tournament’s ninth game. Sarthak Ranjan’s outstanding 77-run knock, followed by Vikas Dixit’s 3/19 in four overs, helped the Strikers win this game.

North Delhi Strikers won the toss and decided to bat first. The opening duo of Sarthak Ranjan and Vaibhav Kandpal added 55 runs for the first wicket in 8.4 overs. They started in a blistering approach, smashing 12 runs, with two fours in the first over bowled by Siddhant Sharma. Ranjan and Kandpal bid adieu to powerplay with 16 runs in the sixth over, smashing two fours and a six off Shivam Sharma’s bowling. Kandpal’s 38-run knock off 33 balls, with five fours and a six, came to an end when he was caught by Keshav Dabas off Kamal Bairwa. The number three batter, Arnav Bugga, couldn’t stay long and fell prey to Bairwa after scoring just three runs off five balls. Later in the 14th over, Harsh Tyagi gave two back-to-back blows to the Strikers, dismissing Yajas Sharma (8) and Yash Bhatia for a duck in the same over. Amidst a fall of wickets at the other end, Ranjan held one end with determination and went on to play a counter-attacking knock of 77 runs off 50 balls, with seven fours and five sixes. It also included a 17-run over off Bairwa’s bowling in the 15th over of the innings. Ranjan’s 77-run knock, followed by Arjun Rapria’s late unbeaten contribution of 17 (9), helped the Strikers post 163/7 in the allotted 20 overs. Harsh Tyagi bowled the most economical spell for the Warriors, picking two wickets for just 19 runs in his four overs, including a maiden over. Apart from him, Siddhant and Bairwa shared four wickets between them.

The Outer Delhi Warriors’ run chase faced a big dent when they lost two wickets within five balls in the fifth over. Kuldip Yadav dismissed Priyansh Arya (8) and Varun Yadav (8). After a 22-run partnership for the third wicket between Sanat Sangwan and Shivam Sharma, the Warriors lost two wickets in quick succession, and they came to the score of 64/4 in 11.1 overs. Sangwan’s 32-run knock off 33 balls, with two fours and a six, ended in a ‘stumped’ dismissal off Vikas Dixit. Following these blows, Keshav Dabas and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Singh stabilized the Warriors' innings with a steady 52-run partnership for the fifth wicket. In this partnership, Dabas scored a crucial 40 runs off 26 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes before falling prey to Vikas Dixit in the 16th over. At the time of Dabas’ dismissal, the Warriors scored 116/5 runs in 15.4 overs. Then a collapse happened that crashed the Warriors’ hopes as they lost four wickets from the 16th to the 19th over, including Vikas Dixit’s double-wicket over, conceding just four runs in the 16th over. After falling to 141/9 at the end of the 19th over, ODW needed 23 runs from the last over, but Arjun Rapria conceded just three runs while bowling to Anshuman Hooda and Kamal Bairwa. Rapna’s brilliant over restricted the Warriors to 144/9 and helped the Strikers clinch their first win in the tournament.

Vikas Dixit won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his brilliant spell, in which he claimed three wickets for just 19 runs in his four-over quota.