Opener Yash Dhull (71, 46b, 4×4, 4×6) was the fulcrum of Delhi’s batting as it chased down 199 against Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy here on Friday, sealing a six-wicket victory.

Dhull built his innings through three successive partnerships: 52 with Priyansh Arya at the top of the order, 58 with Nitish Rana to consolidate, and 61 with Ayush Badoni to accelerate.

“The black-soil wicket was playing a little better in the first innings, while the ball was coming (on to the bat) a little late in the second innings. So, Priyansh and I were talking about taking the game as deep as we can, which was later echoed by Rana bhaiya as well. Even when I had a partnership with Badoni, we discussed the same. I had the belief that my strokes would come off and the game would change,” he said after the win.

The right-hander’s strokes clicked as he seamlessly shifted gears alongside Badoni, transforming the tempo of the chase. During that phase, he took on the experienced spinners, Sai Kishore and Varun Chakaravarthy, with authority.

The 23-year-old said he put in extensive practice during the DPL (Delhi Premier League) season and entered this tournament “with the same mindset and approach.”

With two hundreds and three fifties, Dhull amassed 435 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 167.31 for the Central Delhi Kings in the 2025 DPL season.

Reflecting on his 2024 IPL stint with the Delhi Capitals, Dhull credited then-coach Ricky Ponting with instilling the confidence to trust his game.