New Delhi: Anuj Rawat and Sujal Singh etched their name in history books with a sensational 241-run opening stand for the East Delhi Riders in their clash against Purani Dilli 6 in the inaugural edition of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) on Friday. Anuj and Sujal lit up the Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi with fireworks off their bat to claim the record for the 2nd highest opening stand in T20 history.
Anuj and Sujal combined to wreak havoc on the Purani Dilli 6 bowlers, putting them to the sword while notching up their respective centuries. The two openers slammed centuries apiece en route to their stunning stand while remaining unbeaten in the middle to help their team post a huge total of 241 runs on the board in 20 overs.
Anuj smashed 121 off 66 balls laced with 11 sixes and 6 fours at a brilliant strike rate of 18.33 while Sujal smoked 57-ball 108 studded with 9 sixes and 7 fours at a strike rate of 189.47. The duo plundered the Purani Dilli 6 bowlers to all parts of the ground helping their team secure a comfortable 26-run win in the end after successfully defending the mammoth total.
Rawat, who plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL, has been in scintillating form for East Delhi Riders in DPL 2024 and has been turning heads with his consistent performances. The swashbuckling left-hander was ecstatic after notching up his maiden century in the T20 league and revealed the mantra behind his record stand with Sujal.
“Very happy to have scored a century each. The way we started we didn’t think we would be scoring a century each but the way the game was progressing and the way we were hitting our shots we managed to achieve it in the end,” Anuj told News9 after his team’s win against Purani Dilli 6.
“When you progress well in the game and attain good flow you get to know what kind of score will be good on a certain pitch. When we were batting in the middle, we thought a score of 230-240 would be a strong one on this pitch,” added the wicket-keeper batter.
Unfazed about being retained by RCB
Despite being one of the senior members of the East Delhi Riders squad, and one of the only handful of players in the team to have tasted success in the IPL, Anuj remains unfazed about the talks of retention amid his stellar show in the Delhi Premier League. The swashbuckling southpaw who is still young in his career, has been in scintillating form for East Delhi Riders.
Rawat is currently the second-highest run-getter for the East Delhi Riders in the DPL 2024 with 276 runs from seven matches at a strike rate of 157.71, including a fifty and a century. He is also the 4th highest run-getter overall with back-to-back fifty-plus scores in his last two innings.
The 24-year-old has a golden opportunity to become RCB’s first-choice wicket-keeper batter in the IPL with veteran Dinesh Karthik having retired from all formats. Rawat has kept wickets for RCB in a number of matches in his IPL career so far but is yet to cement his spot. He has not put a foot wrong in the DPL with his consistent performances but is not worried about his future with the franchises.
“Our work is to ensure that we give our best on the pitch. Our performance is the only thing in our hands, the rest lies in the hands of the franchise. If they do retain me it’s good but I try to give my best on the job at hand without worrying about anything else,” said Anuj about his potential retention.
Having spent three seasons with RCB in the IPL, Anuj has not only grown in stature but has also instilled leadership qualities. As one of the senior pros in the East Delhi Riders squad, Anuj is eager to help the youngsters in the squad and be a guiding force for them.
“Having played in the IPL, I try to treat my juniors in the same way as the youngsters get treated in the league. I try to guide them and tell them what to do and what not to do. I try to back my juniors in the same way as I get backed by my seniors in RCB,” said Anuj.
Anuj will hope to continue his purple patch in the Delhi Premier League as the tournament progresses and help his team go the distance in the inaugural edition.
Anuj Rawat has been in scintillating form for East Delhi Riders in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2024 and has been turning heads with his consistent performances. Rawat opened up on being retained by RCB ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction after blasting a sensational ton in DPL 2024. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
