New Delhi, August 29: The Central Delhi Kings secured a commanding victory over Old Delhi 6 by 72 runs, advancing to the finals where they will face South Delhi Superstars on August 30.
In the Qualifier-2 match held at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Kings’ captain Jonty Sidhu delivered an outstanding performance, scoring an unbeaten 106 runs off 46 balls, which included 10 sixes and 5 fours. His remarkable innings helped the team set a formidable total of 218/5 in 20 overs. In response, Old Delhi was bowled out for 146 runs in just 17.4 overs. Sidhu also excelled with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 25 runs in 3 overs, earning him the title of ‘Player of the Match.’
Reflecting on his match-winning performance, Sidhu expressed satisfaction, stating, “I am very happy. I contributed significantly with both bat and ball for my team. At this stage, the team needed such performances the most, and I’m glad it happened at the right time.”
After losing early wickets and facing a potentially low score, Sidhu and his teammate Aditya Bhandari (not out on 24) launched a fierce batting attack in the final overs, forming an unbroken partnership of 64 runs off just 22 balls.
Sidhu shared, “Bhandari and I discussed that if we stayed at the crease, we would get a big over that could change the game. That’s exactly what happened; I hit four sixes in one over, and Bhandari hit two, suddenly bringing us close to 200 runs. They (Old Delhi 6) were trying to bowl wide yorkers against me, so I anticipated where the balls would land. I trusted myself to counter their strategy, and thankfully, I hit the ball well.”
Sidhu also spoke about the dedication required to adapt his game to modern T20 cricket, saying, “We have been practicing red-ball cricket in the academy since childhood, but it took me a year or two to adjust to T20. I have worked hard on this aspect of my game over the past 6-7 months, as it is essential in today’s cricket.”
He celebrated his first T20 century in a unique way, sharing an interesting story behind it: “We had planned at the hotel that if we were in a winning position, I would do a special celebration. I had devised this plan with Mannie (Manni Grewal), but when I completed my century, Bhandari was with me at the crease, so I celebrated with him. I usually don’t celebrate much, but it was important to do so for my first century in such a big match.”
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