The Delhi cricket team scripted history in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 as they became the first ever side in the world to use all 11 players as bowlers in a T20 match. In their match against Manipur at the Wankhede Stadium, Delhi, led by Ayush Badoni, notched this unique feat.
Delhi use all 11 players as bowlers to script World Record in T20 cricket
Manipur were restricted to a modest total of 120 runs after they won the toss and elected to bat first. Ahmed Shah top-scored for Manipur with 32 runs. Digvesh Rathi and Harsh Tyagi were the pick of the bowlers for Delhi, taking three wickets each. Notably, all 11 players in the Delhi squad bowled at least one over, showcasing a unique tactical approach and providing opportunities for every player.
Delhi's rare achievement of using all 11 players as bowlers in a T20 match is a first in the history of cricket. Prior to this, no team had ever employed more than nine bowlers in a single T20 innings. While there have been 42 instances of teams using nine bowlers in a T20 match, Delhi's bold strategy of involving every player in the bowling attack is unprecedented.
This unique approach has been utilized by five Indian teams in the past, including three instances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and two in the Indian Premier League. Teams like Kerala, Bengal, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Meghalaya, and Lucknow Super Giants have previously employed nine bowlers in a T20 match.
Delhi secured a convincing four-wicket victory over Manipur, chasing down the target with nine balls to spare. Yash Dhull played a crucial role, scoring an unbeaten 59 runs off 51 balls.
With this win, Delhi has maintained their perfect record in Group C, winning all four matches. Earlier in the tournament, they defeated Uttar Pradesh by 47 runs, Jammu and Kashmir by 35 runs, and Haryana by six wickets.
The match also reminded everyone of the rare incident where former India skipper used all the 11 players of his team as bowlers in a Test encounter against West Indies back in 2002.
