A successful cricketing tournament held last year titled the Dista Premier League (DPL) set the stage for an ultimate clash of the titans where camaraderie met competition. The second edition of DPL concluded with MVPs, led by Ranjeet Singh being crowned champions for 2023.
Player Auction and Practice Sessions
DPL Season 2 kicked off with a rigorous auction, player vetting, and team formation process. 8 teams were finalized for the tournament with their respective playing 7 members. Team names, logos, and jersey selection followed shortly. Distans devoted their time and energy to practice sessions after work for the past few months. Just the energy in the air and sheer enthusiasm to give it their best made DPL season 2 a stellar success today.
Matchday - Key Highlights
Here are the key turning points throughout the tournament that kept viewers and players hooked on to their seats.
League Matches
The tournament kicked off with two pools created to cater to 4 teams, each playing three league matches. The winner of two or more games would play against the other pool winner for the semis knockout.
A few teams dominated the matches, winning straight games to qualify for the knockouts. But others battled it out till the last ball with nail-biting finishes, sharing equal opportunity to be eligible for the next stage.
The Knockouts
Dista Strikers dominated the semi-final from the first ball, setting a target of 124. Kaushal Raykar set the pace with a fantastic 93-run innings and took two crucial wickets, leading his team to victory.
On the other side, team Mavericks were off to a solid start, but the MVPs capitalized on an early string of wickets, restricting their opponent’s score to 49, all out. Mavericks succumbed to a steady innings of the MVPs, who finally clinched victory, advancing to the ultimate final clash.
The Ultimate Showdown!
Dista Strikers, led by Akash Singhal, and MVPs, led by Ranjeet Singh, faced off in the final. However, the match’s turning point was defined early on when lead player Kaushal Raykar was caught out in the first over. A series of quick wickets led to them posting a reasonable total of 58.
This target was within range right from the first ball for the in-form opposing captain, Ranjeet Singh. His contribution of 45 in just 18 balls, with Ajay Nimbalkar rotating the strike, added to the tally and ensured team victory for the MVPs!
Winners
Meet our star players who showcased exemplary performances.
- DPL Season 2 Champion – MVPs
- Player of the Tournament – Kaushal Raykar (Dista Strikers) stood out in the league, scoring 256 runs, hitting 36 sixes total, and adding two 50s to his tally. He also received four medals for Player of the Match.
- Best Woman Cricketer – Shivani Ranjan (MVPs) received the trophy for her consistent performance.
- Highest Wicket Taker – Sanket Kadam (MVPs) received the trophy with six wickets.
DPL Season 2 demonstrated a strong culture of ownership, planning, execution, and camaraderie by DISTANs.
DPL is the brainchild of our brilliant Principal Architect, Akshay Singhal. He planned and executed the entire tournament with superb perfection and dedication. A big shout out to the organizing committee members, our co-founders, and everybody on and off the field, for making it a huge success.
Congratulations to all the winners !!!