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Delhi's strong start to the Vijay Hazare Trophy continued on Friday as they outplayed Gujarat in Bengaluru, riding on a composed batting effort from Virat Kohli and skipper Rishabh Pant. After the match, Pant shared glimpses from the outing on social media, with several frames featuring Kohli, who has been at the centre of Delhi's campaign so far.
Pant, captaining Delhi in the tournament, posted a picture alongside Kohli following the win and summed up the mood with a simple caption: "Process over noise. Result follows," - words that neatly reflected Delhi's measured yet effective approach this season.
Batting first, Delhi posted a competitive 254 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs. The innings was anchored by Kohli, who was named Player of the Match
for his fluent 77 off 61 deliveries, and Pant, who contributed a vital 70 from 79 balls. The pair added stability after early setbacks and ensured Delhi had enough runs on the board despite regular pressure from Gujarat's bowlers.
Kohli once again walked in early after the dismissal of opener Priyansh Arya and wasted little time settling in. After a cautious first ball, he unfurled a trademark straight drive off pacer Chintan Gaja to get going, signalling his intent straightaway. While wickets kept falling at the other end, Kohli batted with remarkable ease, finding gaps and dispatching anything loose.
His innings gathered momentum with a powerful pull for six off Gaja, followed by a wristy flicked boundary off Arzan Nagwaswalla. Kohli raced to his half-century in just 29 balls, an effort studded with 10 fours and a six, underlining his comfort in the 50-over format. He later brought up his 85th List A fifty by carving Ravi Bishnoi through the covers.
A second consecutive hundred appeared well within reach before left-arm spinner Jayswal, who finished with 4 for 42, brought an end to Kohli's stay. Gujarat fought hard in the chase but were bowled out for 247 in the 48th over.
The victory pushed Delhi to the top of the points table with two wins from two matches and a healthy net run rate of 0.86, firmly establishing them as early frontrunners in the tournament.
