AI Simulation, CDK vs WDL | Sidhu, Simarjeet’s brilliant performances take Kings to top spot with five-wicket win over Lions

ByUmesh Sharma,SportsCafe Editor

08/20/2025

As per Artificial Intelligence, Central Delhi Kings will move to the top spot in the tournament standings with a five-wicket win against West Delhi Lions. Simarjeet Singh’s brilliant bowling performance (3/27) and Jonty Sidhu’s brilliant knock will help the Kings win this game.

Pitch and Weather

It was a flat surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with a good grass covering that aided stroke-making but gripping a bit of spinners in the middle overs.

It was a hot evening in Delhi with a temperature of 33 degrees Celsius, with a bit of humidity, followed by dew coming into the picture, which helped the chasing side.

Toss

West Delhi Lions won the toss and elected to bat first.

Lineups

CDK XI: Yash Dhull, Siddharth Joon (w), Yugal Saini, Jonty Sidhu (c), Aditya Bhandari, Sumit Chhikara, Jasvir Sehrawat, Pranshu Vijayran, Tejas Baroka, Simarjeet Singh, Money Grewal.

WDL XI: Krish Yadav (w), Ankit Kumar, Ayush Doseja, Nitish Rana (c), Ravneet Tanwan, Mayank Gusain, Shivank Vashisht, Manan Bhardwaj, Hrithik Shokeen, Anirudh Chowdhary, Shubham Dubey.

Match Report

After opting to bat first, the West Delhi Lions faced the first blow after scoring just 21 runs in 2.5 overs when Krish Yadav (14) edged behind to Siddharth Joon off Simarjeet Singh’s bowling. Following his opening partner’s departure, Ankit Kumar launched the attack on the Kings’ bowlers, taking the team score to 45/1 from 21/1 in the span of just 2.2 overs. But Ayush Doseja (7)’s dismissal gave another dent in the Lions’ scoring rate. Skipper Nitish Rana joined Ankit, and they stitched a 22-run partnership for the third wicket before Ankit failed to judge Money Grewal’s slower one before going straight into the stumps. Ankit contributed with the knock of 28 runs off 21 balls, with four fours and a six. However, Rana stitched a crucial partnership of 38 runs for the fourth wicket with Ravneet Tanwan (19) before the latter was caught at long-on by Yash Dhull off Tejas Baroka in the 14th over. Tanwan’s dismissal was followed by two: Mayank Gusain and Rana in quick succession. Rana ended up scoring 52 runs off 37 balls, with four fours and two sixes, followed by the later contributions by Shivank Vashisht (11) and Manan Bhardwaj (10). These knocks helped the Lions post 161/8. Simarjeet Singh registered the brilliant bowling figures of 3/27 in four overs, alongside two wickets picked by Money Grewal and Tejas Baroka.

While chasing the target, the Central Delhi Kings’ opening pair of Yash Dhull and Siddharth Joon stitched a fiery partnership of 41 runs for the first wicket in 4.3 overs. Hrithik Shokeen broke this partnership, dismissing Siddharth Joon at the individual score of 23 runs off 16 balls, with four fours. Number three batter Yugal Saini couldn’t stay for long and was dismissed cheaply after scoring just eight runs off nine balls. Meanwhile, Dhull played a brilliant knock of 38 runs off 29 balls, with five fours and a six, before he was dismissed, taking the team’s score to 92 in 11.5 overs. Chowdhary trapped Dhull, getting him caught by Vashisht on the fifth ball of the 12th over. Furthermore, skipper Jonty Sidhu and Aditya Bhandari stitched a 38-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Sidhu scored 47 runs off 33 balls before getting dismissed in an attempt to play a slog sweep off Shokeen’s ball in the 16th over. Bhandari was also dismissed after scoring 22 (15), followed by unbeaten knocks of Sumit Chhikara (13*) and Jasvir Sehrawat (6*). These knocks helped the Kings chase the target in 18.5 overs, scoring 162/5. With this win, the Kings have also moved to the top spot in the tournament’s points table. Shokeen scalped 2 wickets, alongside a wicket each claimed by Anirudh Chowdhary and Mayank Gusain.

Player of the Match

Simarjeet Singh was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for his match-winning bowling performance, picking three wickets for just 27 runs in four overs under pressure.