DPL 2026: Ranjan draws inspiration from Djokovic for celebration in maiden win for Strikers
New Delhi, Aug 6
North Delhi Strikers captain Sarthak Ranjan revealed that his viral half-century celebration was a tribute to tennis icon Novak Djokovic after his explosive knock of 95 set up a comfortable six-wicket victory for his side over East Delhi Riders in the Delhi Premier League clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Chasing 172, Strikers found themselves in early trouble at 39/2 before Ranjan and Yash Bhatia turned the game around with a blistering 113-run stand for the third wicket. Ranjan led from the front, smashing eight sixes and seven fours in his 50-ball 95, including a game-changing 29-run over off pacer Simarjeet Singh, before falling just short of a well-deserved century.
"It feels great to win, especially because this is my first victory as captain. We lost two early wickets, so the plan was to build a partnership and make sure we didn't fall behind in the powerplay. Once Yash Bhatia came in, things became easier.
"We had a good partnership in the last match as well, and today he took a lot of pressure off me by finding the boundaries regularly. We just focused on building the innings and knew that one big over would eventually come. I didn't expect it to be that big, but thankfully it worked in our favour," Ranjan said in a statement on Thursday.
Ranjan, who caught attention with his unique celebration upon reaching his half-century, admitted it was inspired by 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic. "I'm a huge fan of Novak Djokovic, so the celebration was just a tribute to him. I've seen him do it after his victories, and I wanted to celebrate in a similar way," he revealed.
Earlier, East Delhi Riders posted 171/6 in their 20 overs, riding on an unbeaten 82 off 50 balls from left-hander Sujal Singh, who struck six fours and four sixes while wickets fell around him. Medium-pacer Vikas Dixit was the standout performer with the ball for North Delhi Strikers, returning figures of 1-19 in his four overs.
Following the solid platform laid by Ranjan, Bhatia finished unbeaten with a fluent unbeaten 53 off 34 balls, laced with seven fours and a six, to seal the win for Strikers with four overs to spare.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great team effort overall, but I feel the bowlers deserve more credit here. Vikas Dixit's spell of 1/19 in 4 overs on a batting-friendly wicket was crucial. Cricket is not just about the flashy knocks, the silent match-winners matter just as much. Also, big shoutout to Bhatia for that calm finish! 🙌
The 29-run over off Simarjeet Singh was the game-changer! That over shifted the momentum completely. Ranjan showed great composure after the early wickets fell. This is exactly the kind of fearless cricket we need to see more of from our young players. Delhi Premier League is definitely bringing out the best in these guys.
Being a tennis fan, I loved the Djokovic tribute! 🎾 It's refreshing to see cross-sport inspirations. Ranjan's innings was technically brilliant too - especially the way he accelerated after the powerplay. The 113-run partnership was the difference between the two teams. Looking forward to seeing more from this promising captain!
Great match, but I have to be honest - I think chasing 172 on this wicket was never enough. East Delhi Riders were 20-30 runs short. Sujal Singh's 82 was a brilliant knock, but the others let him down badly. Proper planning and death overs batting is needed for the Riders. As for Strikers, Ranjan captained well. Salute! 👏
The Ranjan-Bhatia duo is turning into quite a partnership! They seem to have great understanding between them. Also, can we talk about how Ran
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.