The 2025 Delhi Premier League (DPL) final at Arun Jaitley Stadium not only provided a tense cricketing contest, but the overall spectacle was elevated by one significant moment. While fans enjoyed West Delhi Lions dominating Central Delhi Kings to win the trophy, perhaps the best moment on that day was former India opener Virender Sehwag enjoying a jovial bonding moment with his son Aryavir.

The social media platforms were inundated with various videos and pictures of Sehwag and Aryavir from early in the final. Sehwag, an absolute legend of the game, at times was shown chatting and laughing with Aryavir, bringing a human element to an otherwise intense atmosphere, and reminding fans, albeit briefly, of the emotional authenticity cricket can provide. Sehwag, who also happens to be the brand ambassador for DPL, looked visibly proud side-by-side with Aryavir.

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Cricket, legacy, and emotions shine in the DPL 2025 final

Interestingly, Aryavir had played earlier in the tournament for Central Delhi Kings against East Delhi Riders, which was likely part of Sehwag's excitement that he experienced firsthand. Much like Sehwag, Aryavir batted with power, scoring 22 runs off 16 balls and featuring four nice boundaries while doing so. Although the Kings won that match easily by 62 runs, to the surprise of everyone, Aryavir was missing from the final XI in the match against West Delhi Lions.

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A reel full of love & legacy! ❤️🏏

Virender Sehwag | Delhi Premier League 2025 | DPL 2025 | #AdaniDPL2025 #DPL2025 #DPL #Cricket #Delhi pic.twitter.com/wrHBtY5ntq

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 31, 2025

The final itself was a nail-biting contest. Central Delhi Kings, led by Yugal Saini's 65 and Pranshu Vijayran's unbeaten 50, set a decent target of 173 in 20 overs, but it was not enough against a determined West Delhi Lions team. Captain Nitish Rana, playing a captain's knock, scored 79 runs off only 49 balls, with Ritik Shaukeen's contribution of 42 off 27 balls meant that the Lions completed their chase in the 19th over. The Lions won by six wickets, with Rana winning the honours for Player of the Match with his brilliant innings.

In addition to the cricket meaning of the night, legendary Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were recognised by DDCA President Rohan Jaitley for their services to Indian cricket. This was met with huge applause from the crowd as two of the southbast's best cricketing sons were recognised together.

In the end, the DPL 2025 final was about much more than cricket. It was a night of legacy, it was poignant, and it was the passing of the baton from one generation to the next. While the West Delhi Lions took home the silverware, the moment of Sehwag sharing a bond with Aryavir, a childhood hero for Aryavir, will be held equally dear by cricketing fans as the result.

The title dreams of Central Delhi Kings ended with a loss by six wickets against West Delhi Lions in the DPL 2025 Final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. CDK batted first and posted 173/7 in their 20 overs due to Yugal Saini's 65 off 48 and a half-century by Pranshu Vijayran (50 not out off 24). CDK lost key wickets up front and didn't get the finishing push they required. The West Delhi Lions strolled past the modest total in 18 overs due to a stellar innings by Nitish Rana (79 off 49), finishing their innings with 2 overs to spare. The Lions were clearly superior with bat and ball and deserving winners. Below are the main reasons for the Central Delhi Kings' defeat:

1. Nitish Rana’s match-winning contribution

Nitish Rana led the chase with a solid 79 off 49 balls. He mixed power-hitting with intelligent strike manipulation to dictate the innings. His innings ensured WDL was in control of the game throughout.

2. CDK’s early collapse under spin pressure

Central Delhi Kings lost quick wickets despite good knocks later on. Shivank Vasisht (2/12) and Manan Bhardwaj (2/11) kept them in check during the middle overs. This pressure meant CDK couldn’t fully capitalize on Saini and Vijayran’s efforts.

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3. West Delhi’s incisive bowling and field strategy

Simarjeet Singh (2/35) gave the Lions early breakthroughs with the new ball. Their bowlers were able to strike at intervals to stop CDK's momentum. Their efforts in keeping CDK to 173/7 saw them put up a chaseable score.

Central Delhi Kings won a strong 62-run win over East Delhi Riders in Match 39 of the Delhi Premier League. Batting first, CDK lost some early wickets but settled well as Yugal Saini played a quick and important knock of 52 runs from 32 balls. Jasvir Sehrawat added a calm 37, and with help from the lower order, the team reached 155/6 in their 20 overs.

Chasing 156, East Delhi Riders were under pressure right from the start. They lost four wickets in the first three overs and could never recover. Akhil Chaudhary (26) and Rounak Waghela (19) tried to hold the innings together, but wickets kept falling at the other end. The team was bowled out for 93 runs in just 16 overs. The hero of the day was Money Grewal, who picked up 5/23 and gave CDK a well-deserved victory.

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The New Delhi Tigers won a easy win, chasing down a target of 69 in just 5 overs to defeat the Central Delhi Kings by 9 wickets in the 33rd match of DPL 2025. The Kings started well with Yash Dhull (18 off 12) and Kaushal Suman (30 off 23). Their captain, Jonty Sidhu, batted brilliantly and smashed 75 runs from only 37 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes. But the Tigers’ bowlers kept striking at the right time. Pankaj Jaswal picked up 3/27 and Himmat Singh added 2/24, stopping the Kings from scoring bigger runs.

Because of rain, the Tigers had to chase 69 runs in 6 overs, but they made it look simple. Himmat Singh was the hero with a blazing 45 runs from just 19 balls, hitting 6 fours and 3 sixes. Shivam Gupta made 8 runs, while Vaibhav Rawal finished the chase with 9 runs from 3 balls. The Tigers crossed the line in only 5 overs, winning comfortably with an over left.
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Central Delhi Kings endured a crushing defeat to New Delhi Tigers in DPL 2025 Match 33 due to the rain and the DLS method. CDK posted a competitive total of 167/8 in 19 overs with a blistering 75 off 37 by Jonty Sidhu and 30 from Kaushal Suman off 23. Interruptions from the weather meant NDT's target was a paltry 69 to win in five overs. The Tigers strolled to 69/1 in five overs and a nine-wicket victory. Below are the top reasons why Central Delhi Kings lost the match.

1. Weather-Shortened Chase Made Target Too Easy

The total of CDK was 167/8, which was quite competitive, but the match had to be adjusted through the DLS method due to rain, which resulted in NDT having a target of only 69 in five overs. In this way, the task of chasing a big score was eliminated, making the work heavily one-sided. The shortened chase completely tilted the game towards the New Delhi Tigers.

2. NDT’s Explosive Opening Stand

Himmat Singh’s blazing 45 off just 19 deliveries dismantled CDK’s hopes right from the start. Supported by Vaibhav Rawal’s quick cameo, the Tigers made full use of the powerplay overs. Their aggression ensured that the chase was completed in a matter of minutes.

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3. Lack of Bowling Control Under Pressure

The CDK bowlers were not very efficient in the high-scoring conditions and they gave away runs too easily in the short chase. Simarjeet Singh (1/21 in 2 overs) was the only wicket-taker, while Tejas Baroka (0/20 in 1) and Money Grewal (0/24 in 2) went for runs. The lack of pressure on the opposition allowed NDT to have a very comfortable time and dominate.

West Delhi Lions won a close win by 3 runs against Central Delhi Kings in a last over finish. Batting first, the Lions scored 178 runs losing of 8 wickets in 20 overs. Krish Yadav was the star with a fine 85 from 60 balls, while Ravneet Tanwar added quick runs at the end with 38 not out from 24 balls. For the Kings, Money Grewal took 3 wickets for 46 and Arun Pundir bowled a tight spell of 2/16 to slow things down.

Chasing 179, Central Delhi Kings looked strong when Yash Dhull made 72 and skipper Jonty Sidhu hit 56, adding more than 90 runs together. But once they got out, the lower order could not keep the same pace. With 11 needed in the last over, they scored only 7 runs and finished at 175/6. The Lions kept their coolness under pressure and won a thrilling 3-run win.

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Central Delhi Kings narrowly lost to West Delhi Lions by 3 runs in a thrilling finish in Match 29 of the DPL 2025. Central Delhi Kings, through Yash Dhull and Jonty Sidhu, developed some momentum but could not finish in the final overs. Ravneet Tanwar's explosive batting gave the Lions the kick start they needed, and the disciplined bowling applied the necessary pressure later in the over. In short, Central Delhi Kings made some small mistakes under pressure, losing a match they could have won. Here are the top reasons why Central Delhi Kings lost the match.

1. Ravneet Tanwar’s Late-Cameo Heroics 

Ravneet Tanwar's brilliant knock, scoring 38 runs off just 12 balls, with 2 fours and 4 sixes in it, changed the game completely. His last cameo lifted WDL's innings to 178/8 in 20 overs after looking to finish with a lot fewer. CDK's bowling was fought in the death overs, conceding the vital runs when WDL needed it.

2. Central Delhi Kings’ Death-Over Collapse 

Yash Dhull (72 off 49) and Jonty Sidhu (56 off 41) gave CDK a perfect start but CDK fell apart at the critical moment. In their last five overs, they scored only 50 runs and lost 2 wickets, including Sidhu's wicket in the 19th over. That collapse left them with only 175/6 in 20 overs, exactly 3 runs short of winning the match.

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3. West Delhi Lions’ Tight Bowling and Fielding

The Lions’ bowlers held their nerve in the crunch moments, led by Shivank Vashisht (1/16 in 3 overs), Anirudh Chowdhary (1/24 in 3 overs), and Shubham Dubey (1/26 in 2 overs). They didn’t allow CDK’s middle and lower order to finish strongly despite Dhull and Sidhu’s half-centuries. With disciplined lines and sharp fielding support, WDL successfully defended 178/8, restricting CDK to 175/6 in 20 overs.

Central Delhi Kings beat North Delhi Strikers by 15 runs (DLS – 16 overs) in a rain-hit, high-scoring game of the Delhi Premier League 2025. Yash Dhull’s superb century set up the win, while the bowlers held their nerve in the final overs to deny the Strikers despite a strong chase.

Kings lost Siddharth Joon early but Yash Dhull stole the show with a brilliant 105 off just 51 balls, hitting 11 fours and 4 sixes. Yugal Saini gave solid support with a quick 63 off 28. Their partnership pushed the total close to 200 in the reduced 16 overs. Harshit Rana picked 3 wickets but even he went for runs.

The Strikers started their chase with good intent. Sarthak Ranjan smashed 52 off 26, while Vaibhav Kandpal (34 off 21) and Arnav Bugga (43 off 13) kept the hopes alive. At one stage, they needed only 35 runs from 18 balls, but wickets at the wrong time hurt their chase. Simarjeet Singh and Tejas Baroka picked two wickets each to make sure Kings finished on top.

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Central Delhi Kings won by 12 runs against Outer Delhi Warriors in 20th match of Delhi Premier League 2025. CDS Batting first, they scored 161/8, with Aditya Bhandari hitting a quick 41 from 27 balls. In reply, Keshav Dabas fought hard with 64 runs, but CDK’s tight bowling made sure ODW fell short at 149/8.

The Kings lost Yash Dhull (2) and Yugal Saini (1) early, but Siddharth Joon (32) and captain Jonty Sidhu (29) steadied the innings. Then Aditya Bhandari played a strong knock, smashing 5 fours and a six in his 41 runs. Pranshu Vijayran added 15 runs late, and Jasvir Sehrawat’s quick 7 not out helped them finish above 160.

The Warriors had a terrible start, losing three wickets in the first three overs. Keshav Dabas scored 64 runs of 45 balls, hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes. Harsh Tyagi scored 31, but with wickets falling at regular intervals, they couldn’t catch up. CDK’s bowlers stayed disciplined and took control to seal the win.

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The 14th match of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 is scheduled between Central Delhi Kings (CDK) and Outer Delhi Warriors (ODW) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi, on Saturday, August 9, at 2:00 PM IST. CDK, unbeaten so far with three wins in three matches, are sitting comfortably at the top of the points table and will be eager to extend their perfect run to move closer to early qualification for the next round.

ODW, on the other hand, are faced with a rapid turnaround after their game against East Delhi Riders barely 1 day ago. One more defeat would continue putting pressure on their fight for consistency, and they will be eager to muster more strength to put up a challenge against the suddenly in-form CDK while keeping ODW a highly competitive one.

CDK vs ODW: Head-to-Head Record

This will be the maiden meeting between the Central Delhi Kings and the Outer Delhi Warriors. Therefore, the head-to-head record is 0-0 in history.

CDK vs ODW: Pitch Report

The surface at the Arun Jaitley ground generally provides good scoring opportunities for the batsmen:

• Offers true and even bounce, perfect for stroke-makers.
  
• Shorter boundaries help big hitters.
  
• Pace bowlers can struggle in the middle and death overs.
  
• From a spin perspective, they can still effect if they use different speeds and can vary their angles.
  
• Expect another possible high-scoring contest; 180+ totals are very much in play if the top orders fire.
  

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CDK vs ODW: Predicted Playing XIs

Central Delhi Kings (CDK):

Yash Dhull, Siddharth Joon (w), Jonty Sidhu (c), Aditya Bhandari, Yugal Saini, Jasvir Sehrawat, Pranshu Vijayran, Tejas Baroka, Simarjeet Singh, Money Grewal, Gavinsh Khurana

Outer Delhi Warriors (ODW):

Priyansh Arya, Sanat Sangwan, Mohit Panwar, Shivam Sharma, Keshav Dabas, Dhruv Singh (w), Harsh Tyagi, Siddhant Sharma (c), Karan Garg, Anshuman Hooda, Shaurya Malik