Captain fantastic! Nitish Rana stars as West Delhi Lions clinch Delhi Premier League 2025 title

West Delhi Lions claimed the Delhi Premier League 2025 title with a commanding six-wicket win over Central Delhi Kings in the final at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. Captain Nitish Rana played a brilliant unbeaten 79 to guide his team in successfully chasing a target of 174 runs, capping off a stellar tournament performance. The chase, however, did not start smoothly for the Lions. Early breakthroughs by Central Delhi Kings’ bowlers Simarjeet Singh and Arun Pundir reduced the Lions to 48/3 in the fifth over. Rana, as he had throughout the tournament, anchored the innings. He shared a 42-run partnership with Mayank Gusain, who contributed 15 before falling, stabilising the chase after the early losses. Hrithik Shokeen then walked in and joined Rana in an unbroken partnership that saw the Lions through. Shokeen played a fluent 42 off 27 balls, while Rana continued to dominate the bowling attack, displaying his trademark aggression and composure under pressure. Earlier, Central Delhi Kings, after being reduced to 78/6, were revived by a vital seventh-wicket stand. Yugal Saini and Pranshu Vijayran added 78 runs together, with Saini scoring 65 off 48 balls and Vijayran remaining unbeaten on 50 from just 24 deliveries. Their partnership brought respectability to Kings’ total of 173/7 in 20 overs, giving the Lions a challenging yet achievable target. The Lions’ bowlers were equally impressive. Manan Bhardwaj led the attack with figures of 2/11 in 3 overs, supported by Shivank Vashisht’s 2/12 in 2 overs. Rana also contributed with the ball, picking up 1/16 in his full quota. Rana’s consistency throughout the playoffs was remarkable. He scored 134* in the Eliminator, 45* in Qualifier 2, and 79* in the Final. His all-round leadership, both as a captain and a player, was key to West Delhi Lions’ title triumph, making him the standout performer of the Delhi Premier League 2025.