Defending champions West Delhi Lions (WDL) will start their title defence against the New Delhi Tigers (NDT) in Match 3 of the Delhi Premier League 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday, August 1.
The Lions will be looking to start strongly in a bid to successfully defend their crown in the 2026 season. They will be bolstered by their experienced core led by captain Nitish Rana and names such as Shubham Dubey, Kulwant Khejroliya and Suyash Sharma.
The North Delhi Tigers, on the
other hand, missed out on qualification for the playoffs by just one point in the 2025 season and will be looking to put up a better showing during this outing. They will be without their star seamer Prince Yadav, who picked up an injury during India's recent tour of Zimbabwe.
WDL vs NDT: Match Details
| Match | West Delhi Lions vs New Delhi Tigers, Match 3, Delhi Premier League 2026 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Saturday, August 1, 2026, 7:00 PM |
| Venue | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi |
| Broadcast and Live-Streaming | JioStar Network Channels and JioHotstar (App & Website), FanCode (App & Website) |
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Pitch Report
The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi is regarded as one of the country's perennial batting-friendly venues. The wicket stays true for most of the game, offering consistent bounce and allowing batters to score from the get-go. The shorter boundaries and quick outfield further enhance the scoring rate for the batting side. With this set to be an evening game, the effect of dew is expected to be profound.
WDL vs NDT: Head-to-Head Record
| Matches Played | 1 |
| Won By WDL | 1 |
| Won By NDT | 0 |
| No Result/Tied | 0 |
| First-ever Fixture | August 16, 2025 |
WDL vs NDT: Predicted Playing XIs
West Delhi Lions (WDL):
Nitish Rana (C), Hiten Dalal, Aaryavir Sehwag, Shubham Dubey, Vikas Rana, Krish Yadav (WK), Mayank Gusain, Suyash Sharma, Kulwant Khejroliya, Ravneet Tanwar, Anirudh Chowdhary
New Delhi Tigers (NDT):
Himmat Singh (C), Vaibhav Rawal, Atulya Pandey, Manish Sehrawat, Parikshit Singh Bhati, Yashjeet, Hrithik Shokeen, Lakshay Thareja (WK), Rishabh Sharma, Pradyuman Sanan, Varun Vanjani
WDL vs NDT: Probable Best Performers of the Match
Probable Best Batter: Nitish Rana
Lions captain Nitish Rana was one of the most prolific batters in the 2025 season, playing a key role in his side's title triumph. The southpaw scored 393 runs in 11 innings, averaging 65.50 and striking at 181.94. He scored a stellar 134 off just 55 balls against the South Delhi Superstarz, the highest score of the 2025 season. He will be looking to continue the same form into the season to help with the title defence.
Probable Best Bowler: Suyash Sharma
Leg-spinner Suyash Sharma will be one of the key bowlers for the defending champions. He has established himself as a reliable middle overs option for his teams in the shortest format and is a reliable wicket taker with his variations.
