A moment of frustration produced one of the most extraordinary run-outs seen in the Delhi Premier League as Himmat Singh accidentally kicked the ball onto the stumps after misfielding it, forcing New Delhi Tigers’ match against Outer Delhi Warriors into a Super Over.
Outer Delhi needed only one run from the final delivery to complete a chase of 156 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Pratham Saluja squeezed the ball towards mid-on and immediately set off for the winning single. Himmat moved forward to collect it but failed to gather the ball cleanly. Annoyed by the mistake, the New Delhi Tigers captain appeared to kick the ball away in frustration. The ball, however, travelled directly towards the wicket and struck the stumps with Saluja still short of his crease.
For a few seconds, even Himmat appeared uncertain about what had happened. His teammates began celebrating the dismissal while the fielder looked back towards the wicket, seemingly surprised that his angry reaction to the misfield had produced a direct hit. Saluja was dismissed without scoring and Outer Delhi finished their 15 overs on 155/9, level with New Delhi’s total. The final-ball dismissal was Outer Delhi’s second run-out in succession after captain Siddhant Sharma had been caught short on the previous delivery.
The sequence turned what appeared to be a straightforward chase into a Super Over and instantly became the biggest talking point of the match.
Himmat’s heroics delay Outer Delhi victory
{{/usCountry}}The sequence turned what appeared to be a straightforward chase into a Super Over and instantly became the biggest talking point of the match.
Himmat’s heroics delay Outer Delhi victory
{{/usCountry}}Himmat had already played a major role with the bat, smashing 61 from just 25 deliveries to lift New Delhi Tigers to 156/5 in the rain-shortened contest. He struck four fours and five sixes and added 101 runs with Lakshay Thareja as New Delhi recovered from early pressure and posted a competitive total from their 15 overs.
Outer Delhi kept themselves in the chase and entered the final over needing only a handful of runs. With the scores almost level and two deliveries remaining, they appeared certain to complete the victory before the back-to-back run-outs dramatically changed the match.
Himmat’s accidental direct hit gave New Delhi another opportunity, but Outer Delhi regained control in the Super Over.
Monu Shukla struck three sixes as Outer Delhi posted 20/1 from their six deliveries, leaving New Delhi with a difficult target of 21. Himmat began the reply by hitting the first ball for six, briefly raising hopes of another dramatic turnaround. He was dismissed on the following delivery, however, before Hrithik Shokeen fell from the third ball.
New Delhi’s reply ended at 6/2, handing Outer Delhi Warriors victory despite the bizarre final-ball incident that had denied them a win in regulation time. The result belonged to Outer Delhi, but the lasting image of the contest was Himmat’s misfield, frustrated kick and accidental direct hit—a mistake that somehow turned into a match-saving run-out.