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New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) East Delhi Riders delivered a commanding all-round performance to defeat Purani Dilli 6 by 21 runs in Match 27 of the Delhi Premier League Season 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Notably, with this win, East Delhi Riders become the first team to qualify for the playoffs as they are currently on top of the points table with six wins from eight games.

Defending a competitive 173, the Riders struck early as Manjeet fell for a duck on just the second ball of the innings. Navdeep Saini piled on the pressure in the third over, dismissing Kush Nagpal (1) and leaving Dilli 6 in deep trouble. Despite a spirited resistance from Samarth Seth (41 off 30), Pranav Pant (29 off 25) and skipper Vansh Bedi (48 off 26), the chase never fully took off. Purani Dilli 6 eventually stumbled to 151/8 in their 20 overs.

Navdeep Saini was the standout bowler, producing a fiery spell of 3/21 in his four overs. He was well supported by the rest of the Riders’ attack, who never allowed Dilli 6’s middle-order revival to blossom into a match-winning partnership.

Earlier, opting to bat first, East Delhi Riders built their innings around two crucial knocks. Skipper and wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat played a captain’s hand with an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls, while Arpit Rana anchored the top order with a composed 64 off 47. Their innings propelled the Riders to a challenging 172/6. Smart rotation of strike, sharp running between the wickets, and timely acceleration in the death overs also highlighted the team’s batting effort.

For Purani Dilli 6, Dev Lakra and Aayush Singh picked two wickets apiece, while Rajneesh Dadar and Udhav Mohan chipped in with one each, but the Riders’ disciplined approach and late flourish proved decisive.

Brief Scores - East Delhi Riders: 172/6 (20 overs), Arpit Rana: 64 (47), Anuj Rawat: 59 (36), Aayush Singh 2/37 defeat Purani Dilli 6: 151/8 (20 overs), Vansh Bedi 48 (26), Samarth Seth 41 (30), Navdeep Saini 3/21 by 21 runs.

--IANS

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