DPL 2026: Anshuman Hooda's fifer helps South Delhi Superstarz beat East Delhi Riders
New Delhi, Aug 1
Anshuman Hooda produced a sensational bowling performance before South Delhi Superstarz chased down a competitive target to defeat East Delhi Riders by four wickets in Match 2 of the Delhi Premier League 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.
After opting to bowl first, South Delhi Superstarz restricted East Delhi Riders to 165 all out in 18.1 overs, thanks largely to Hooda's outstanding spell of 5 for 24 in 3.1 overs.
The right-arm pacer turned the match on its head with a brilliant burst at the death, removing Deepak Punia, Simarjeet Singh, Suryansh Raina, Mayank Rawat and Dhruv Kaushik to trigger a dramatic collapse.
Earlier, Arpit Rana led the Riders' batting with a blistering 66 off 39 balls, smashing six fours and three sixes. Kavya Gupta chipped in with an aggressive 37 off 22 deliveries, while Dhruv Kaushik contributed 20.
At one stage, East Delhi appeared set for a much bigger total before Hooda's incisive spell ensured they were bowled out with 11 balls remaining. Ayush Badoni claimed two wickets, while Aman Bharti and Ankit Dabas picked up one each.
In reply, South Delhi Superstarz recovered from an early setback through a fluent innings from Anmol Sharma, who top-scored with 64 off just 36 balls, striking eight boundaries and two sixes. Pranav Pant added a quickfire 24 off 14, while skipper Ayush Badoni injected momentum with a 23-run cameo from only 11 deliveries.
Although East Delhi Riders fought back through Ashish Meena (2/24) and Rounak Waghela (2/54), Karan Garg held his nerve with an unbeaten 27 off 28 balls.
Supported by Pranshu Vijayran's 17 and Ankit Dabas' unbeaten 6, South Delhi reached 169/6 in 18.1 overs, sealing victory with 11 balls to spare.
Earlier, Central Delhi Kings all-rounder Keshav Dabas has been penalised 10 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for a Code of Conduct breach during his side's thrilling four-wicket win over Purani Dilli 6 in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026 opener at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Dabas was cited under Article 2.5 (Level 1) of the DPL Code of Conduct for making a sending-off gesture towards opposition batter Dev Lakra during the match held on Friday night. "Keshav Dabas admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by Match Referee - Manu Nayar," said an official statement from the league on Saturday.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Arpit Rana's 66 off 39 was looking so dangerous, but Hooda's yorkers at the death were unplayable. Also, Anmol Sharma's 64 in the chase was pure class. Great game of cricket overall!
Good to see DPL getting proper coverage. The level of competition seems decent. But honestly, the Code of Conduct fine on Keshav Dabas was a bit harsh - sending off gestures are part of the game's passion, as long as it doesn't get physical. Just my two paise.
Karan Garg's calm 27 off 28 under pressure was the backbone of this chase. While the big hits from Anmol and Ayush set it up, it's these unheralded knocks that win you matches. Well played South Delhi! 👏
The way Hooda cleaned up the lower order was reminiscent of the great Zaheer Khan in his prime. If he keeps performing like this, we might see him in the IPL auction soon. DPL is becoming a proper talent factory it seems.
East Delhi Riders were 140/4 at one stage and got bundled out for 165. That's a 25-30 run collapse. Their middle order needs to show more application. Also, losing to a chasing team by 11 balls to spare shows where the game was lost.
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