The Delhi Premier League 2026 kicked off with a thrilling contest in the capital. After a grand opening ceremony at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, Purani Dilli 6 faced Central Delhi Kings in the season's first match. The contest stayed on a knife's edge until the final overs, and despite an unbeaten century from captain Anuj Rawat, his side ended up on the losing side in the end.
Purani Dilli 6's shaky start, then a big Rawat-Lakra stand
Batting first, Purani Dilli 6 had a poor start, losing their top three batsmen with the score at just 30 runs. Captain Anuj Rawat then took charge of the innings, and found a strong ally in Dev Lakra. The pair added 132 runs off just 81 balls to pull the innings out of trouble. Lakra contributed 57 runs off 37 balls, hitting 6 fours and a six, while Rawat walked back unbeaten on 105 off 59 balls, striking 11 fours and 5 sixes. On the back of this partnership, Purani Dilli 6 posted a strong total of 202 runs in their 20 overs.
Yash Dhull's blazing knock gives Central Delhi Kings a flying start
Chasing a target of 203, Central Delhi Kings captain Yash Dhull batted aggressively, smashing 72 runs off just 45 balls, an innings that included 5 fours and 4 sixes. Opening batsman Siddharth Jun gave him solid support, and the pair put on 65 runs for the first wicket, giving the chase a rapid start.
Late cameos seal a 4-wicket win for Central Delhi Kings
No other Central Delhi Kings batsman played a big innings after Yash Dhull's dismissal, but the team never let the required run rate slip away. A string of small but useful contributions kept the chase on track, and the team eventually got home with 5 balls to spare, reaching 204 runs to win the match by 4 wickets. In the bowling department for Purani Dilli 6, Rajneesh Dadar, Pankaj Jaswal, Uddhav Mohan and Dev Lakra picked up one wicket each. With this win, Central Delhi Kings got their Delhi Premier League 2026 campaign off to a flying start.
