New Delhi [India], August 4 (ANI): Outer Delhi Warriors (ODW) made a spirited debut in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 against fellow newcomers New Delhi Tigers at the iconic Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Despite falling short in the end, there were plenty of positives for ODW to take forward, most notably, an exceptional five-wicket haul from pacer Anshuman Hooda in his very first outing this season, as per a press release from Outer Delhi Warriors.

ODW captain Siddhant Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl first, a decision that initially paid off. The Warriors kept things tight in the power play, conceding just 49 runs in the first six overs. An early breakthrough came when Anshuman Hooda dismissed an opener, helped by a stunning catch from Shreshth Yadav.

However, New Delhi Tigers' opener Shivam Gupta and captain Himmat Singh then built a massive partnership of 164 runs, shifting the momentum. They went on to post a commanding total of 222/7 in their 20 overs, with Shivam Gupta scoring 89 off 53 balls and Himmat Singh adding 69 from 39 deliveries.

For ODW, the standout moment of the first innings belonged to Anshuman Hooda, who finished with the tournament's first five-wicket haul. Speaking after his performance, Anshuman said, as quoted by a press release,'I would like to thank God and the franchise for picking me and showing trust in me. I'm grateful and will keep working hard. Hopefully, next time I'll be on the winning side.'

Owner of Outer Delhi Warriors, Lakshya Aggarwal, shared his pride in the team's fighting spirit.

'Delhi has produced many big international cricketers, and the Delhi Premier League is now such a huge platform for budding talent. Winning or losing is part of the game, but I'm proud of how our boys played today and I'm sure they'll come back stronger,' Lakshya Aggarwal said.

In response to the tall target, ODW's openers Priyansh Arya and Sanat Sangwan gave the side a fiery start, racing to 70 runs in the powerplay and thrilling the crowd with a flurry of boundaries. Unfortunately, Priyansh fell for 26 at the end of the sixth over, which shifted the game's momentum.

Sanat Sangwan kept the scoreboard ticking with a composed 48 off 42 balls, while Shreshth Yadav added an unbeaten 37 off 33 balls. The biggest impact late in the innings came from Dhruv Singh, whose fearless power-hitting produced an unbeaten 42 from just 16 balls, including four towering sixes and three boundaries, keeping the Warriors' hopes alive till the end.

Ultimately, Outer Delhi Warriors finished 40 runs short of the target. Despite the result, the team showed promise, spirit, and glimpses of brilliance in their very first DPL game.

With a solid foundation set by players like Anshuman Hooda and explosive batting displays from Dhruv Singh and others, ODW is determined to bounce back stronger in the matches ahead. (ANI)