New Delhi, Aug 6 : East Delhi Riders defeated New Delhi Tigers by seven wickets in an entertaining clash in the ongoing Season 2 of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Wednesday.

The Riders successfully chased down the target of 173 runs for the loss of 3 wickets with 10 balls to spare, winning by 7 wickets in the 18.2 overs as their batting lineup displayed composure and aggression in equal measure, maintaining control throughout their innings and never allowing the required run rate to escalate beyond manageable levels.

Opener Arpit Rana emerged as the hero of the chase, remaining unbeaten on 63 runs from 44 deliveries, hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes. His innings was a masterclass in pacing a run chase, starting steadily and accelerating as the match progressed. Rana found the gaps consistently and punished anything loose from the Tigers' bowling attack. Sujal Singh provided the perfect opening partnership, scoring 26 runs from 19 balls with 4 fours and 1 six before being caught by Keshav Dalal off Pankaj Jaswal's bowling. Hardik Sharma then played a crucial cameo, smashing 30 runs from just 12 deliveries, striking 5 fours and 1 six at an incredible strike rate of 250 before being dismissed by Himmat Singh.

Captain and wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat contributed 16 runs from 9 balls, including 1 four and 1 six, maintaining the momentum before falling to Himmat Singh's bowling. Mayank Rawat arrived at the crease and finished the job in style, remaining unbeaten on 32 runs from 26 balls, hitting 1 four and 3 sixes to seal the victory for East Delhi Riders.

For New Delhi Tigers, Himmat Singh was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2 for 26 in 3 overs, removing both Hardik Sharma and Anuj Rawat during the middle overs. However, his efforts were not enough to stem the flow of runs as the other bowlers proved expensive.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, New Delhi Tigers delivered a strong batting performance to post 172 for 6 in their 20 overs. The Tigers made good use of favorable batting conditions, with the surface offering bounce rewarding attacking intent. The innings began steadily, with opener Shivam Gupta laying the foundation through a composed 38 off 32 deliveries. He was ably supported by Dhruv Kaushik and the team's captain Himmat Singh, scoring 24 each, as the middle order kept the scoreboard ticking despite periodic breakthroughs from the Riders' bowlers.

New Delhi's innings gained significant momentum in the death overs, thanks to a stunning cameo from Deepak Punia, who hammered 41 runs off just 15 balls, including three fours and four sixes. His late onslaught, supported by an unbeaten 31 off 25 balls from lower-order batter Aryan Dalal, propelled the Tigers to a competitive total.

Meanwhile, East Delhi Riders' bowling effort was highlighted by Rounak Waghela, whose tight lines and disciplined length earned him impressive figures of 3 for 18 in his four overs. Akhil Chaudhary, Navdeep Saini, and Mayank Rawat chipped in with one wicket apiece, though Saini proved to be expensive, conceding 52 runs in his full quota of overs. Despite Waghela's efforts during the middle phase, the Riders struggled to contain the flow of runs in the final stretch of the innings.

/IANS