East Delhi Riders etched their name in history by winning the inaugural Delhi Premier League (DPL) T20 title at the Arun Jaitley Stadium with a nail-biting 3-run victory over South Delhi Superstarz. A breathtaking late assault by Mayank Rawat, who smashed 78* off 39 balls with seven fours and six sixes, powered his team to 183/5. Rawat's fireworks in the final over, where he clobbered Ayush Badoni for five sixes, ensured a strong total for East Delhi Riders.

Pic: X South Delhi Superstarz had a shaky start to their run chase, losing Priyansh Arya (6 off 2) and Ayush Badoni (7 off 5) early to Bhagwan Singh and Simarjeet Singh. Despite being on track with the required run rate, they ended the powerplay at 57/3, as impact player Kunwar Bidhuri (22 off 19) was caught and bowled by Rawat.

Tejaswi Dahiya anchored South Delhi’s innings, reaching a well-fought half-century. However, his efforts weren't enough as wickets continued to fall around him. Sumit Mathur (18 off 15) and Vision Panchal (25 off 9) provided brief resistance, with Panchal's explosive cameo of three sixes and a four putting the Superstarz back in the game. But Raunak Waghela struck at crucial moments, dismissing Panchal and leaving the Superstarz at 109/7.

In the final overs, South Delhi needed 26 runs off 12 balls. Dahiya hit a massive six off Simarjeet Singh but was dismissed soon after. Digvesh Rathi (21* off 16) kept the Superstarz alive with a six and two fours in the final over, but they ultimately fell short, finishing at 180/9.

Earlier, East Delhi Riders' top order struggled after losing openers Anuj Rawat (10 off 15) and Sujal Singh (5 off 6) in the powerplay. Himmat Singh (20 off 20) and Hardik Sharma (21 off 16) tried to stabilize the innings, but it was Mayank Rawat who took charge in the death overs. Rawat's blistering knock, along with support from Harsh Tyagi (17 off 12), ensured a competitive total for East Delhi Riders.

Simarjeet Singh and Raunak Waghela were the heroes with the ball, both picking up three wickets each to seal the title for East Delhi Riders.