Despite Delhi’s sporadic bursts of aggression and the potential to post a far more imposing total after being asked to bat first, the Titans’ bowlers consistently struck at crucial intervals to curb their momentum

The innings began with promise as Abhishek Porel (23) launched an early assault, taking Mohammed Siraj for 16 runs in the opening over, which featured two boundaries and a towering six. However, his stay was short-lived, he fell in the next over to Arshad Khan, miscuing an over-pitched delivery straight to Siraj at mid-on. The visitors managed to rebuild again, courtesy of a 53-run fifth-wicket partnership between Tristan Stubbs (31) and Axar Patel (39). Stubbs impressed with a pair of commanding cover drives off Prasidh, demonstrating his blend of timing and power

Stubbs' innings came to an end while attempting an audacious reverse paddle against Siraj, only to find Prasidh stationed perfectly at short third man. Shortly after, Prasidh returned to dismiss Axar, using subtle variations in bounce and grip to keep the batters guessing

KL Rahul (28 off 14) and Karun Nair (31 off 18) then stitched together a lively 35-run stand for the second wicket, showcasing some exquisite strokeplay. However, Prasidh Krishna soon intervened, halting Delhi’s surge. He dismissed his Karnataka teammate Rahul with a sizzling yorker that struck the back foot dead-on, breaking the stand just as it began to blossom. Karun, attempting a ramp shot off Prasidh, only managed a simple catch to Arshad at wide third man, leaving DC at 93 for 3 after just nine overs.

Ashutosh Sharma’s late blitz, an aggressive 37 off 19 balls, provided some impetus in the death overs. However, it fell short of offsetting the earlier stumbles in the top and middle order, leaving Delhi with a total that, while competitive, felt below par given the conditions