New Delhi, Stand-in Captain Ayush Doseja produced a match-winning half-century before the bowling unit held its nerve as defending champions West Delhi Lions defeated New Delhi Tigers by 19 runs in Match 3 of the Delhi Premier League 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.
After New Delhi Tigers opted to bowl first, they found immediate success. Pradyuman Sanan and Hrithik Shokeen dismissed the West Delhi openers early, putting the defending champions on the back foot.
However, Ayush Doseja led a strong recovery to turn the innings around. He anchored the innings with a brilliant 84 off 52 balls, finding the boundary with 10 fours and two sixes.
Mayank Gusain provided the crucial finishing touches to the innings, smashing an unbeaten 46 off 35 deliveries, including four sixes, to power West Delhi Lions to a competitive 170 for 5.
Chasing 171, New Delhi Tigers endured a top-order collapse and were restricted to 28 for 4 by the end of the powerplay. Aryan Sharma and Vaibhav Rawal then combined for a 41-run stand to stabilize the run chase.
Just as New Delhi looked to rebuild, Manan Bhardwaj delivered a massive double blow, taking two wickets in two balls to remove Sharma for 31 and Hrithik Shokeen for a golden duck.
Despite the mounting pressure and with all hopes seemingly gone, Manan Sehrawat stepped up and kept the Tigers in the hunt with a quickfire 51 off just 26 balls.
However, the defending champions maintained their composure in the death overs to secure the win and start their campaign on a positive note. Kulwant Khejroliya and Manan Bhardwaj led the bowling attack, finishing with three wickets each, while Shubham Dubey and Mayank Gusain chipped in with two each.
