Delhi Premier League: Dev Lakra's blitz, Anuj Rawat's calm finish help Purani Dilli 6 chase down 181 with ease

West Delhi Lions posted a competitive 180/6 in their 20 overs, thanks to a scintillating innings from Ankit Kumar, who struck a fluent 86 off just 45 deliveries.

Fiery knocks from skipper Anuj Rawat and Dev Lakra helped Purani Dilli 6 to their first win of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026 against West Delhi Lions at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. West Delhi Lions posted a competitive 180/6 in their 20 overs, thanks to a scintillating innings from Ankit Kumar, who struck a fluent 86 off just 45 deliveries, consisting of eight fours and five sixes.

The Lions got off to a dream start as openers Ankit Kumar and Krish Yadav dominated the powerplay, stitching together a 90-run partnership for the opening wicket. Krish played the perfect supporting role with a well-compiled 43 off 31 balls (seven fours and a six) before his dismissal brought Purani Dilli 6 back into the contest. Despite wickets falling at regular intervals after the opening stand, Ankit continued to anchor the innings while maintaining an aggressive scoring rate. He found the boundary with ease and kept the scoreboard ticking, but the lack of substantial partnerships in the latter half of the innings prevented West Delhi Lions from posting a total beyond the 180-run mark. Pankaj Jaswal was the pick of the Purani Dilli 6 bowlers, finishing with impressive figures of 2/30 from his four overs, while the rest of the bowling unit chipped in with timely breakthroughs to restrict the opposition.

Chasing 181, Purani Dilli 6 suffered the worst possible start as Rohan Rana was dismissed off the very first ball of the innings. However, the early setback did little to affect their approach as Samarth Seth and Dev Lakra combined brilliantly to rebuild the innings. The duo added 94 runs for the second wicket, taking the attack to the bowlers and shifting the momentum firmly in Purani Dilli 6's favour. Lakra was the aggressor throughout the partnership, producing a sensational knock of 64 off just 33 balls, laced with four boundaries and six towering sixes. Seth complemented him well with a composed 30 off 29 deliveries, ensuring there was no further collapse after the early wicket.

Following Lakra's dismissal, captain Anuj Rawat took complete control of the chase. The left-hander played another classy innings, remaining unbeaten on 49 off 26 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes while Lalit Yadav provided the finishing touches with a brisk 30* off 17 deliveries. The pair shared an unbeaten partnership to steer Purani Dilli 6 home comfortably, sealing a seven-wicket victory with more than two overs to spare. (ANI)