East Delhi Riders stormed into the playoffs of the Adani Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 after registering a 21-run win over Old Delhi 6, thanks to a match-winning performance by pacer Navdeep Saini and a captain’s knock from Anuj Rawat. Batting first in the 27th league match, the Riders posted a challenging 172 for six. The innings was anchored by Arpit Rana, who struck a fluent 64 off 47 balls, and skipper Anuj Rawat, who added a brisk 59 from just 36 deliveries, decorated with six boundaries and two sixes. Their partnership set the tone before Old Delhi 6 bowlers Dev Lakra and Ayush Singh pulled things back with two wickets apiece. Rawat’s fireworks later earned him the ‘Super Sixes of the Match’ award. Chasing 173, Old Delhi 6 looked in the hunt with contributions from Samarth Seth (41 off 30), Pranav Pant (29 off 25) and captain Vansh Bedi (48 off 26). But they fell short after losing wickets at regular intervals, finishing at 151 for eight. The destroyer-in-chief was Navdeep Saini, whose fiery spell of 3 for 21 in four overs broke the backbone of their chase. With this victory, East Delhi Riders became the first team to seal a playoff berth in the second season of the DPL. Anuj Rawat clinched the Super Sixes of the Match award in the 27th match of the Adani Delhi Premier League 2025! ? East Delhi Riders | Adani Delhi Premier League 2025 | Anuj Rawat | #AdaniDPL2025 #DPL2025 #DPL #Cricket #Delhi pic.twitter.com/rueDJQaRCo — Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 20, 2025 While Rawat’s innings brought him back into the spotlight, his career has seen sharp ups and downs in recent years. In the 2023 IPL auction, the Uttarakhand cricketer was snapped up by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a hefty Rs 3.4 crore. However, he failed to cement his place, managing only 129 runs from eight matches in IPL 2022 and appearing in just nine matches in 2023. Seen by many as a potential successor to veteran wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik at RCB, Rawat’s poor run of form continued. By 2024, he played only five matches, and his dipping graph meant that he went unsold in the subsequent auction. Now, his DPL heroics could mark the beginning of a resurgence as the young wicketkeeper-batsman looks to revive his career and remind franchises of his ability to deliver under pressure.