Top 3 reasons why North Delhi Strikers lost to New Delhi Tigers in the DPL 2025 match 40

In Match 40 of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025, the North Delhi Strikers (NDS) lost to the New Delhi Tigers (NDT) by six wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Despite a great century from Sarthak Ranjan (100 off 58) and a blazing 47 off 23 from Arjun Rapria, Strikers managed to get 199/6 in their 20 overs. The Tigers made light work of the chase, reaching 200/4 in 20 overs, with Lakshay Thareja’s unbeaten 80 off 48 leading the way. Below are the main reasons for the North Delhi Strikers' defeat:

1. Lack of Support for Sarthak Ranjan

Ranjan’s 100 was the standout knock, but no one else stood tall apart from Arjun Rapria’s quick 47. Arnay Bugga (14 off 11) and others fell cheaply, leaving the innings heavily reliant on one man. Despite Ranjan’s brilliance, the total of 199/6 was always under par against a powerful Tigers’ lineup.

2. Inability to Contain the Tigers’ Top Order

The bowlers struggled to break the top order of the Tigers, as Lakshay Thareja (80 off 48)* and Dhruv Kaushik (41 off 25) dealt the blow early. Himmat Singh (34 off 22) added to the firepower on a good batting surface, ensuring NDT was always on the front foot. Without early wickets, NDS very quickly lost their chances of defending a total of 199.

3. Ineffective Bowling Strategy

Although skipper Vaibhav Kandpal was good with 2/19 in 4 overs, others were very expensive. Siddhartha Solanki (1/48) and Prabhjot Singh (1/38) were poor and were severely punished under pressure as NDT batting found boundaries consistently. With no effective bowling variations, NDT chase the target comfortably.