Delhi set a new record in cricket history by becoming the first ever team to deploy all 11 players as bowlers in their Syed Mustaq Ali T20 outing against Manipur at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
After Manipur opted to bat on winning the toss, Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni came up with the unconventional strategy of bowling all his 11 men on the field, including himself, a wicketkeeper-batter. Badoni bowled a couple of overs, claiming one wicket while maintaining a tight economy. His second over was a maiden, further highlighting the effectiveness of the approach.
Winless in all their three Group C matches before the encounter against Delhi, Manipur’s struggle with the bat continued as they found themselves tottering at 41 for 6, before captain Rex Singh (23) and wicket-keeper Ahmed Shah (32) stabilised their innings with a gritty 52-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
Despite utilising all their resources, Delhi could not bowl out Manipur, as the partnership between Rex and Shah eventually propelled the Northeast side to a respectable 120 for 8
For Delhi, Digvesh (2/8) and Harsh Tyagi (2/11) were the standout performers with the ball, while Priyansh Arya (1/2) and Aayush Singh (1/7) also were among the wickets.
However, some of the Delhi bowlers, including all-rounder Mayank Rawat, bowled an expensive spell, conceding 31 runs in three overs as Shah clobbered him for three sixes. Wicketkeeper-batter Aryan Arana conceded 14 runs from his only over, while Aryan Rana and Himmat Singh gave away 10 and 11 runs, respectively.
This achievement surpasses the previous record in T20 cricket, where no team had employed more than nine bowlers in an innings. Previously, Sourav Ganguly had used a similar tactic against the West Indies in 2022, when he employed all his 11 men to bowl in a Test match.
Coming back to Friday’s match, Delhi overcame a forgettable start to continue their winning run with a five-wicket victory, courtesy opener Yash Dhull’s unbeaten half-century (59 not out).
Delhi began the chase, losing four wickets for 44, before Dhull stitched important partnerships with Mayank Rawat and Aryan Rana to take the team home. With the win, Delhi remained unbeaten in the tournament, having earlier defeated Jammu & Kashmir by 35 runs and Haryana by six wickets.