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.

See Also: Who is Manan Bhardwaj who clinched the Player of the Match award in Qualifier 2 of DPL 2025

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.

Manan Bhardwaj emerged as one of the promising spinners in the Delhi Premier League (DPL 2025). The underrated spinner became an instrumental figure behind the effective performances of West Delhi Lions throughout the tournament.

In the Qualifier 2 match of the tournament, Bhardwaj got the man of the match award. During the match against East Delhi Riders, Manan Bhardwaj claimed 3 wickets in his 4-over quota, against only 22 runs, at an economy rate of 5.50. He almost single-handedly shattered the middle order of the opposition team. Because of his economical and wicket-taking abilities, East Delhi could not register more than 139 on the board, batting first. West Delhi Lions comfortably won the match and moved into the final stage. In the final match of the tournament, Bhardwaj again showed his magic by taking a brace in a 3-over spell, offering only 11 runs to Central Delhi Kings.

The spinner can bowl using both of his hands. Cricket fans often compare him with Sri Lankan spinner Kamindu Mendis. In the past, he had to taste 6 sixes in an oven. It was Priyansh Arya, who later moved to Punjab Kings to play IPL 2025, who thrashed Manan for 6 sixes in an over. Since then, he has developed his bowling a lot, especially picking the right line and length against batters. 

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Recent matches of Manan Bhardwaj in DPL 2025:

East Delhi Riders vs. West Delhi Lions: 3/22(4), 30-Aug-2025

West Delhi Lions vs. South Delhi Superstarz: 0/33(4), 29-Aug-2025

South Delhi Superstarz vs. West Delhi Lions: 0*(0), 25-Aug-2025

Central Delhi Kings vs. West Delhi Lions: 0/17(4), 21-Aug-2025

West Delhi Lions vs New Delhi Tigers: 3/12(3)

Purani Delhi 6 vs. West Delhi Lions: 0/21(3), 07-Aug-2025

West Delhi Lions vs. South Delhi Superstarz: 2/23(4), 05-Aug-2025

East Delhi Riders vs. West Delhi Lions: 0/7(1)

West Delhi Lions won a Qualifier with a solid 7-wicket win over South Delhi Superstarz. Batting first, SDS got off to a flying start with Anmol Sharma’s 55 and Kunwar Bidhuri’s 65. Captain Tejasvi Dahiya played a fiery knock of 60 and Sumit Mathur’s quick 48 runs off 26 balls helped them post a strong 201/5. Hrithik Shokeen was the pick of the bowlers for WDL, taking 2/28.

Chasing 202, WDL lost a couple of early wickets, but captain Nitish Rana turned the game into a one-man show. He played a breathtaking knock of 134 runs off just 55 balls, smashing 13 fours and 8 sixes. Krish Yadav scored 31 and Mayank Gusain remained not out on 15 as WDL chased the target in 17.1 overs with 17 balls left. The win took West Delhi Lions to the Qualifier and ended South Delhi Superstarz’s campaign.

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Twitter reactions after West Delhi Lions won the Eliminator in DPL 2025

Nitish Rana was awarded Player of the Match for his outstanding century that sealed the victory against South Delhi Superstarz in the Eliminator of the Adani Delhi Premier League 2025! 🏏

Nitish Rana | West Delhi Lions | South Delhi Superstarz | #DPL #DPL2025 #AdaniDPL2025… pic.twitter.com/smYcoPrDX1

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 30, 2025

Nitish Rana took home the Super Sixes of the Match award against South Delhi Superstarz in the Eliminator of the Adani Delhi Premier League 2025! 🏏

Nitish Rana | West Delhi Lions | South Delhi Superstarz | #DPL #DPL2025 #AdaniDPL2025 #Delhi pic.twitter.com/s0nDDxmlP9

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 30, 2025

An intense moment in the middle! 🏏

Nitish Rana | Digvesh Singh Rathi | West Delhi Lions | South Delhi Superstarz | #DPL #DPL2025 #AdaniDPL2025 #Delhi pic.twitter.com/dX5E5wFDqd

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 29, 2025

It’s all happening here! 🔥🏏

Nitish Rana | Digvesh Singh Rathi | West Delhi Lions | South Delhi Superstarz | #DPL #DPL2025 #AdaniDPL2025 #Delhi pic.twitter.com/OfDZQGhOlr

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 29, 2025

A knock to remember the ages! 🏏

Nitish Rana smashed the fastest hundred of the season in 42 balls against South Delhi Superstarz in the Eliminator of Adani Delhi Premier League 2025! ✨

Nitish Rana | West Delhi Lions | South Delhi Superstarz | #DPL #DPL2025 #AdaniDPL2025… pic.twitter.com/8VvvvluY7n

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 29, 2025

An outstanding batting display by Captain Nitish Rana helped West Delhi Lions secure a win against South Delhi Superstarz in the Eliminator. 🏏💥

Nitish Rana | West Delhi Lions | South Delhi Superstarz | #DPL #DPL2025 #AdaniDPL2025 #Delhi pic.twitter.com/khUYrmcvtL

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 29, 2025

A heated clash broke out in the eliminator of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 between the South Delhi Superstarz and the West Delhi Lions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Earlier, Nitish Rana was already engaged with the off-spinner, Digvesh Rathi, which led to an ugly fight and heated argument between the two superstar individuals.

Another incident took place after the dismissal of Krish Yadav when the batter attempted to nail Aman Bharti for a huge six over long-off but was caught by Anmol Sharma near the rope. It was followed by a furious exchange between the two players as both sides’ players came to push and shove, with tempers flaring.

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South Delhi’s Sumit Mathur, bowler Aman Bharti, and the batter Krish Yadav were at the centre of the entire incident, where the lady umpire had to step in and tried to bring the situation under control, with the other players rushing in to decrease the tension between the two players. 

Watch: Ugly fight breaks out in DPL 2025 before umpire intervenes as video goes viral

Winning the toss, the West Delhi Lions’ captain, Nitish Rana, decided to bowl first on a surface that looked to bowl first in the stadium. Anmol Sharma smashed 55 runs in just 39 balls at a strike rate of 141.03, thanks to seven boundaries and two sixes, while the captain and wicket-keeper of South Delhi, Tejasvi Dahiya, drilled 60 runs in 33 balls to post 201/5 in their allotted 20 overs of the first innings.

An intense moment in the middle! 🏏

Nitish Rana | Digvesh Singh Rathi | West Delhi Lions | South Delhi Superstarz | #DPL #DPL2025 #AdaniDPL2025 #Delhi pic.twitter.com/dX5E5wFDqd

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 29, 2025

In reply, West Delhi lost their first couple of wickets for just 21 runs. At number four, Lions’ captain, Nitish Rana, stayed undefeated for 134 runs in just 55 deliveries at a strike rate of over 243.64, scoring eight boundaries and 15 sixes as they chased down the target by seven wickets with 17 balls to spare.

West Delhi has now qualified for the second qualifier of the event and will face the East Delhi Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The winner will meet the Central Delhi Kings in the final of the tournament.

A heated argument and physical altercation between Nitish Rana and Digvesh Rathi occurred during the 2025 season of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The viral clip of their engagement was shared by the tournament’s social media accounts as it moved around the internet within seconds. 

The brawl during the T20 game happened after both players looked to play mind games against each other at the start of the over, after the southpaw batter looked to settle the batter by sweeping the spinner for a huge six, which burnt the fire of the players exchanging words. It didn’t go down well with the left-handed batter as he aggressively charged towards Rathi.

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Rana’s non-striker partner and all team mates of Rathi tried to cool down the situation by pulling the individuals away from each other, as it was also a vital eliminator clash of the event between the West Delhi Lions and the South Delhi Superstarz.

Watch: Nitis Rana and Digvesh Rathi’s ugly fight video from DPL 2025 goes viral

In the do-or-die fixture for both franchises, Rana smacked Rathi for a four on the second ball of the opening over and then cracked the next three balls for successive sixes. In Rathi’s next over as well, the left-handed batter notched up another four on the second ball and two over-boundaries on the third and sixth deliveries.

It’s all happening here! 🔥🏏

Nitish Rana | Digvesh Singh Rathi | West Delhi Lions | South Delhi Superstarz | #DPL #DPL2025 #AdaniDPL2025 #Delhi pic.twitter.com/OfDZQGhOlr

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 29, 2025

The 25-year-old spinner from Delhi, Rathi, featured for the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League and showed his incredible skills with the ball throughout the competition. During the eliminator, he ended with figures of 0/39 in his quota of two overs. Among those 39 runs, 38 were drilled by Rana alone in 11 deliveries.

During the 202-run chase, the West Delhi captain, Nitish Rana, remained unbeaten on 134 runs in just 55 deliveries at a strike rate of 243.64, thanks to eight over boundaries and 15 boundaries as they made the successful chase of the score in the second innings by seven wickets with 17 balls to spare. They have now qualified for the second qualifier fixture against the East Delhi Lions on August 30 at the same ground.

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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West Delhi Lions defeated New Delhi Tigers by 15 runs (DLS method) in a rain-hit match of the Delhi Premier League 2025. Batting first, the Tigers could only score 138/8 in their 20 overs. The Lions’ bowlers were spot on, with Manan Bhardwaj (2 for 23) and Anirudh Chowdhary (2 for 26) doing the main damage. Himmat Singh made 30, while Vaibhav Rawal played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 64 from 50 balls to help his team reach a fighting total.

Chasing a revised DLS target of 154, the Lions had a bad start at 1/1 but quickly fought back. Ankit Kumar smashed 25 off just 14 balls, giving them a quick boost. Captain Nitish Rana (8 off 8) and Ayush Doseja (13 off 15) kept the scoreboard ticking as rain stopped the game. When play was halted, the DLS showed the Lions were 15 runs ahead of the required score, giving them the win.

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In Match 19 of the DPL 2025, the North Delhi Strikers got an 11-run victory over the West Delhi Lions after the batsmen of the strikers, led by Sarthak Ranjan and Arjun Rapria, had a fine game. The Lions’ innings was dominated by the power-hitting of Hrithik Shokeen, scoring a 50-ball 51, but the rest of the batters failed to get quick runs during the pressing phase, so the target of 166 was not achievable. So the Strikers’ bowlers had no problems holding the nerve to the end and sealing the deal. Here are the main reasons why the West Delhi Lions lost the match:

1. Costly Bowling Performance in Middle Overs

The Lions allowed the Strikers to build momentum through Sarthak Ranjan’s 42 (33) and Arjun Rapria’s 40 (22). After a couple of dismissals at the start of the innings, the Lions found themselves unable to keep up the pressure; picking up valuable singles and doubles, the Strikers took what could have become a very low-scoring game to 165/9 and beyond their reach.

2. Over-Reliance on Hrithik Shokeen

The Lions were lucky to have Hrithik Shokeen come out with a strong, showman-like 51 off just 24 balls, but this was completely isolated and without any sort of support from the rest of the batting lineup. The continuation of the chase after Shokeen’s dismissal was a let-down, as the remaining batsmen were quite simply unable to keep the momentum and acceleration up.

See Also: Top 3 reasons why New Delhi Tigers lost to South Delhi Superstarz in the DPL 2025 match 18

3. Ineffective Lower-Order Finish

With the match still within reach in the final overs, the Lions’ lower-middle order failed to capitalize. Tight bowling from Deepanshu Gulia (3/44) and Kuldip Yadav (1/24) ensured the Lions couldn’t find the late burst required to close the gap.

In 17th match of the DPL 2025, East Delhi Riders held their nerve to beat West Delhi Lions by just 2 runs in a heart-stopping finish. Batting first, the Riders put up a fighting score, thanks to a superb knock from Arpit Rana, and then sealed the game with tight bowling in the final overs.

The Riders didn’t start well, losing Sujal Singh early for 7. But Arpit Rana played a brilliant innings of 47 runs from 31 balls, hitting 7 fours and 3 sixes. Hardik Sharma added 37 from 27 balls, while Rounak Waghela’s quick 12 from 6 balls helped take the score to 158.

Chasing 159, the Lions came out swinging as Ankit Kumar smashed 42 off just 16 balls in the powerplay. Krish Yadav kept the chase alive with 44 from 39 balls, but timely wickets of Ayush Doseja (26) and Mayank Gusain (27) slowed them down. Bowlers Mayank Rawat (2/18) and Rounak Waghela (2/32) were spot on at the death. In the end, the Lions needed 3 runs off the last ball but could only take a single, giving the Riders a thrilling 2-run win.

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