DPL 2026: Anshuman Hooda's 5-for-24 powers South Delhi Superstarz past East Delhi Riders
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Anshuman Hooda delivered a match-winning bowling spell of 5 for 24 in 3.1 overs as South Delhi Superstarz chased down 169 to defeat East Delhi Riders by four wickets in Match 2 of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi, on 1 August 2026. The right-arm pacer's devastating late burst restricted East Delhi to 165 all out in 18.1 overs, setting up a successful chase that South Delhi sealed with 11 balls to spare.
Hooda's Decisive Spell
Electing to bowl first, South Delhi Superstarz appeared in control for much of East Delhi's innings before Hooda turned the contest decisively. His incisive death-overs burst accounted for Deepak Punia, Simarjeet Singh, Suryansh Raina, Mayank Rawat, and Dhruv Kaushik, triggering a dramatic collapse that cost East Delhi what had looked like a much larger total. Ayush Badoni chipped in with 2 wickets, while Aman Bharti and Ankit Dabas claimed one each.
East Delhi's Batting Effort
Arpit Rana led East Delhi Riders' batting with a blistering 66 off 39 balls, striking six fours and three sixes. Kavya Gupta contributed an aggressive 37 off 22 deliveries, while Dhruv Kaushik added 20. At one stage, East Delhi appeared on course for a total well beyond 180, before Hooda's burst bowled them out with 11 balls of their innings remaining.
South Delhi's Chase
Anmol Sharma anchored the reply with a fluent 64 off 36 balls, hitting eight boundaries and two sixes to top-score for South Delhi. Pranav Pant contributed a quickfire 24 off 14 deliveries, and skipper Ayush Badoni injected late momentum with an 11-ball 23. East Delhi fought back through Ashish Meena (2/24) and Rounak Waghela (2/54), reducing South Delhi to 169/6. However, Karan Garg held his nerve with an unbeaten 27 off 28 balls, supported by Pranshu Vijayran's 17 and Ankit Dabas' unbeaten 6, to see South Delhi home in 18.1 overs.
Code of Conduct Breach: Keshav Dabas Penalised
In a separate development from the tournament's opening match, Central Delhi Kings all-rounder Keshav Dabas has been fined 10 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for a Code of Conduct violation. Dabas was cited under Article 2.5 (Level 1) of the DPL Code of Conduct for making a sending-off gesture towards opposition batter Dev Lakra during Central Delhi's four-wicket win over Purani Dilli 6 on Friday night. According to an official league statement, 'Keshav Dabas admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by Match Referee - Manu Nayar.'
What's Next in DPL 2026
The Delhi Premier League 2026 continues at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with South Delhi Superstarz opening their campaign on a strong note. Hooda's fifer is likely to put him among the early wicket-takers to watch in the tournament, while the Code of Conduct episode serves as an early reminder that on-field discipline will be closely monitored this edition.