New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) Central Delhi Kings captain Jonty Sidhu said he was glad his match-winning performance arrived when his team needed it the most, as he smashed an unbeaten 106 off 46 balls to lead his side into the final of the 2026 Delhi Premier League (DPL).
After that sensational batting performance, Sidhu also picked 3-25 to help his team get a 72-run victory over Purani Dilli 6 in Qualifier 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and take them into Sunday’s summit clash against South Delhi Superstarz. Against the mammoth 218/5 posted by Central Delhi Kings, Purani Dilli 6 wilted under pressure, slumping to 91/6 before being bundled out for 146.
Alongside Sidhu’s three wickets, Money Grewal (2-27) and Tejas Baroka (2-19) delivered disciplined spells to complete the dominant win. “I am very happy. I contributed significantly for my team with both batting and bowling. At this stage, the team needed this kind of performance the most, so I’m glad it came at the right time,” Sidhu said ahead of the title clash.
Sidhu and Aditya Bhandari (24 not out off 12 balls) also did some crucial hitting in the death overs to rescue the innings. “Bhandari and I discussed that if we just stayed out there, we would find that one big over to shift momentum. That’s exactly what happened, I hit four sixes in an over, Bhandari hit two, and suddenly we were pushing close to 200,” Sidhu revealed.
Elaborating on how he countered the opposition’s bowling strategy, Sidhu explained, “They were trying to execute wide yorkers against me, so I anticipated where the deliveries would land. I backed myself to counter their strategy, and by God’s grace, I got clean hits.”
Known primarily as a solid red-ball batter in the Ranji Trophy circuit, Sidhu also opened up on the dedication required to transform into an explosive T20 hitter. “We practice red-ball cricket in academies from childhood, but adapting to T20 took me a year or two. I’ve worked extremely hard over the last 6-7 months to develop this aspect of my game because modern cricket demands it,” he added.
He also shared the story behind his special celebration upon reaching his maiden T20 century. “We had planned in the hotel that if we were in a winning position, I’d do a special celebration. Manni and I originally planned it, but since Bhandari was out there with me when I completed the hundred, I did it with him. I don’t usually celebrate much, but for my first hundred in such a big match, it was necessary!”
–IANS
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