New Delhi [India], August 25 (ANI): North Delhi Strikers ended their Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026 campaign on a high note, securing a comfortable 39-run victory over Outer Delhi Warriors at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Despite finishing the season with a win, Strikers captain Sarthak Ranjan expressed deep disappointment over missing out on a playoff spot, reflecting on the fine margins that cost his side a place in the top 4.
"Definitely, we could have made it to the top four. It's very disappointing because our team was truly deserving. We just couldn't click as a group at the right time, especially in two key matches. If we had won just one more game, the points table would have looked completely different," Ranjan said after the match.
When asked about the team's inability to string together consistent team efforts despite strong individual displays, the skipper pointed to a lack of collective execution on key match days.
"It happens in cricket--not everyone is going to perform every single day. But if three or four of us had contributed collectively on particular days, we would have won those close games. Sometimes I scored runs, sometimes someone else did, but we couldn't click together in the same match," he added.
Ranjan, who held the Orange Cap during the tournament following a brilliant individual run with the bat, expressed gratitude for his personal form while reiterating that team success remains the ultimate priority.
"Batting well is a blessing, and wearing the Orange Cap is a great experience. I am very grateful that I could contribute to the team's cause and help win matches. Individually, it feels good to get recognised, but as a team, we know we could have done much better" he noted.
The captain also clarified the situation regarding opening batter Vaibhav Kandpal, who was pushed down to Number 11 in a previous match before sitting out the final fixture.
"Vaibhav was struggling to middle the ball initially, but then he suffered a back injury toward the end. He wasn't able to move properly and was in a lot of pain. He volunteered to bat down the order if needed, but we decided to give him rest after that," Ranjan explained.
Earlier in the match, North Delhi Strikers posted 166/7 in 20 overs, laid by a steady half-century from Yash Bhatia (53 off 38) and a crisp contribution from Kaushal Suman (33 off 26). Harsh Tyagi was the standout bowler for the Warriors, taking 3/15 in his four overs.
In reply, Outer Delhi Warriors crumbled under pressure, slipping to 47/3 early in the chase. Despite a fighting half-century from Harsh Tyagi, regular wickets derailed the Warriors' innings, restricting them to 127/7. Prikshit Sehrawat delivered a masterclass spell for the Strikers, returning sensational figures of 3/10, including a maiden over to seal a convincing 39-run victory. (ANI)
We deserved to be in top 4: Sarthak Ranjan reflects on North Delhi Strikers season-ending victory
