Delhi Capitals look to sign off from Vizag on a high against SRH

In their opening match, Delhi Capitals were reeling at 113/6 in the 13th over while chasing a challenging target of 210, but debutant Vipraj Nigam, along with Ashutosh Sharma, stitched a vital 55-run partnership for the seventh wicket to turn the game in their favour.

Reflecting on his match-winning partnership with Ashutosh Sharma, the 20-year-old, who made quickfire 39 off 15 balls, said, "My job was to make things easy for Ashutosh. I was able to hit some shots which gave him more time to settle," as quoted from a release by Delhi Capitals.

"We both have played a lot of practice games together and have had some drills in the nets as well. Our plan was to try and replicate what we have been doing in the practice sessions. We did that, and fortunately, it worked for us," he added while addressing media in a pre-match press conference.

The youngster also expressed his gratitude to the Delhi Capitals management for the opportunity and emphasised on the importance of maintaining a balance between batting and bowling as an all-rounder.

"I am very thankful to the coaching staff and our captain for showing great trust in me. It was an incredible experience. As an all-rounder, you need to focus on both batting and bowling, and I have been doing the same for my state as well," he said.

Delhi Capitals' next opponents, Sunrisers Hyderabad, began their campaign with a win over Rajasthan Royals but suffered a defeat against Lucknow Super Giants in their previous outing.

Speaking about the match-up, the young all-rounder said, "SRH is a very good team with a strong batting lineup. But we have made some plans for them during our team meetings and will try to execute that."

Delhi Capitals have received a boost as star wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has rejoined the team ahead of their second game after attending the birth of his baby girl.

On Rahul's return, Nigam said, "KL Rahul is back with the team, and having him in the squad brings a lot of balance, given the incredible ability he possesses."

Delhi Capitals will take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their second match of IPL 2025 at Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Sunday (March 30). (ANI)