New Delhi [India], August 27 : In a nail-biting finish that had fans on the edge of their seats, South Delhi Superstarz emerged champions of the Women's Delhi Premier League 2025, defeating Central Delhi Queens by just one run in a dramatic final.
The closely contested match witnessed remarkable performances, with Himakshi Chaudhary being named the Player of the Match for her brilliant bowling spell in the summit clash.
Reflecting on the team's triumph, Himakshi said, "The whole team contributed, and it's because of everyone's effort that we could lift the trophy."
Her teammate Ekta Bhadana expressed immense pride in the side's redemption, "I am feeling very happy because last time we were runners-up, but this time we managed to win the trophy."
Sunita Sharma, Director of the South Delhi Superstarz, revealed the meticulous planning behind the victory. She explained that the team had separate strategies for everyone.
"Strategies were different for everyone, for bowlers it was different, for batters it was different, we have given batters a target that you need to score this much runs in an over and to the bowlers we told that within the wickets they should bowl and you should not give room to the batters to hit, so, these girls really did very well and they did what was instructed, so, I was very happy with their performance," Sunita said.
Shweta Sehrawat from the Superstarz squad won the Outstanding Player of the Season award.
Shweta said, "It's definitely a great feeling. We came into this tournament by preparing in every aspect, fielding, batting, and bowling. We wanted to perform well in all three departments."
Coming to the match, chasing 122 for victory, the Queens were under pressure right from the start. They lost early wickets and were soon pegged back further when rain interrupted play.
Once the game resumed, their chase never gathered full momentum. Reduced to 74/5, the contest seemed slipping away before Monika (33 off 28) and Riya Shokeen, who eventually scored 28* off 28, revived hopes with a fighting 33-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
The pair looked threatening, but Monika's dismissal came at the wrong time, leaving Shokeen stranded with the lower order. The Queens battled hard but eventually closed their innings at 120/8 in 20 overs, agonisingly short by just one run.
Medhavi Bidhuri starred with the ball for the Superstarz as she picked up three wickets for 26 runs in 3 overs, while Himakshi Choudhary scalped two for 18 runs in 4 overs.
Earlier, opting to bat first, the Superstarz too found it tough against disciplined Queens' bowling. Openers Tanishqa Singh (14 off 13) and Shivi Sharma (29 off 36) got the team off to a steady start.
The innings gained momentum when Tanisha Singh (28 off 23) joined Shivi in a valuable 50-run stand, but once the set batters were dismissed, the middle order collapsed under pressure.
The Queens' spinners took control with Priya Mishra (2/19), Nidhi Mahto (2/24) and Saachi (2/7) delivering economical spells. Despite that, skipper Shweta Sehrawat (34 off 24) fought till the end, ensuring her side had a competitive total of 121/8 on the board.