Former Indian cricket team opener Gautam Gambhir was honoured for his memorable contributions to cricket during the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The final saw West Delhi Lions defeat Central Delhi Kings by six wickets under Nitish Rana‘s leadership, but Gambhir’s presence added a nostalgic touch for fans. During the final, Gambhir participated in a fun segment where he was asked to tag cricketers, from young talents to veterans, with descriptive words. He associated “clutch” with Sachin Tendulkar and called Virat Kohli a “desi boy” due to their shared Delhi connection. When presented with the word “speed,” Gambhir picked Jasprit Bumrah. He referred to Nitish Rana as “golden arm” and named Shubman Gill as the “most stylish player.” Rahul Dravid was described as “Mr. Consistent,” VVS Laxman as “run machine,” and Zaheer Khan as “death over specialist.” For wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, Gambhir used the tag “most funny,” reflecting his light-hearted personality.Click here to watch the video. As India’s head coach, Gambhir will soon resume his national duties. Following the England Test series, the team will regroup for the T20 Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE. India are scheduled to open their campaign on September 10 against the hosts and will face Pakistan on September 14 at the Dubai cricket ground, in what promises to be one of the biggest clashes of the year. On the field, West Delhi Lions lifted the trophy with a six-wicket win over Central Delhi Kings. Rana was the star of the night with an unbeaten 79, guiding his side to chase down 174. Despite early strikes from Simarjeet Singh and Arun Pundir reducing the Lions to 48/3, Rana built crucial partnerships with Mayank Gusain and later Hrithik Shokeen. Shokeen’s 42* off 27 balls ensured the chase was completed smoothly. Central Delhi Kings had earlier recovered from 78/6 to post 173/7, courtesy of a seventh-wicket rescue act from Yugal Saini (65) and Pranshu Vijayran (50*). For the Lions, Manan Bhardwaj (2/11) and Shivank Vashisht (2/12) kept things tight with the ball. Rana’s consistency stood out across the playoffs, with scores of 134* in the Eliminator, 45* in Qualifier 2, and 79* in the Final. His captaincy and form proved decisive in West Delhi Lions’ title-winning campaign.
