The Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026 commenced with an exhilarating atmosphere at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, captivating fans with a night filled with entertainment and exciting cricket. The event kicked off with vibrant performances by renowned artists Sukhbir Singh and Sunanda Sharma, setting the stage for an unforgettable evening.

Purani Dilli 6, batting first, faced an early challenge, finding themselves at 30/3 within the first five overs. However, captain Anuj Rawat and Dev Lakra turned the tide with a remarkable 132-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Lakra contributed a steady 53 runs off 37 balls, while Rawat dazzled with an unbeaten 105 runs from just 59 balls, hitting 11 fours and five sixes. His century was particularly dramatic, as he was dropped on 99 but quickly reached the milestone on the next delivery. This partnership enabled Purani Dilli 6 to recover and set a competitive total of 202/4 in their 20 overs.

In response, Central Delhi Kings started strong, with openers Yash Dhull and Siddharth Joon adding 65 runs in just 4.5 overs. The partnership was broken when Rajneesh Dadar dismissed Joon for 23 runs off 14 balls, with Pankaj Jaswal taking the catch.

Dhull continued to shine, forming a 32-run partnership with Yugal Saini, who was run out for 22 runs off 16 balls. The Kings faced another setback when Jonty Sidhu was dismissed for a duck, but Dhull maintained the momentum with a stellar half-century. He eventually fell for 72 runs off 45 balls, caught out by Rajneesh Dadar after attempting a risky upper cut off a short delivery from Pankaj Jaswal.

Vansh Bedi added a quick 28 runs off 13 balls, but his dismissal left the Kings needing a strong finish. Under pressure, Keshav Dabas stepped up, hitting two boundaries off the last two balls of the penultimate over, leaving just three runs needed in the final over. Jasvir Sehrawat then calmly secured the winning runs, leading Central Delhi Kings to a thrilling four-wicket victory and a successful start to their DPL 2026 campaign.