Delhi Capitals dropped Mustafizur Rahman from the playing XI for the first time in this year’s Indian Premier League but put forth a clinical performance to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 21 runs in Mumbai on Thursday, reports ANI.
DC opener David Warner played a blazing knock of 92 which was laced with 12 fours and three sixes. The Aussie was well accompanied by Rovman Powell who smashed six maximums and three fours in his innings of 67 runs. The duo stitched an unbeaten 122-run stand to power Delhi Capitals to a massive total of 207 for 3 in 20 overs.
In reply, SRH batters never looked up to the mark as they were able to make just 186-8 in the assigned 20 overs, falling 21 runs short of the target. Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram were the only stand out batters for SRH as they played innings of 62 and 42 respectively.
For Delhi, Khaleel Ahmed bagged three wickets while Shradul Thakur took two wickets. Mustafiz’s replacement Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Marsh, and Kuldeep Yadav scalped one wicket each.
This is DC’s 5th win in IPL 2022 while SRH fell to their 5th loss of the season, both teams have played 10 games and now have 10 points each. The Rishabh Pant-led team have now moved to 5th on the points table, as they have better net run rate in comparison to SRH.
Chasing 208, Khaleel and Nortje struck in the powerplay for DC to send back Abhishek Sharma and SRH skipper Kane Williamson back into the pavilion. The score of Men in Orange read 35-2 after the first six overs.
In the 7th over, Marsh also joined the wicket-taking party as he removed Rahul Tripathi. Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran then tried to steady the ship for SRH. The duo stitched a quick 50-run stand.
The 60-run partnership off 35 balls came to an end in the 13th over after Khaleel dismissed dangerous-looking Markram.
In the 15th over Shardul Thakur got the better of Shashank Singh. With wickets falling at one end, the West Indian cricketer Pooran continued his charge against DC bowlers. In the 17th over, Pooran brought up his back-to-back fifty in the IPL 2022 before Khaleel bagged his third wicket of the match in form of Sean Abbott.
Pooran got out in the 18th over as SRH’s hopes of winning the contest went up in smokes.
Earlier, put to bat first, Delhi Capitals got off a poor start, as the opener Mandeep Singh was dismissed by pacer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar after edging an outside off-stump delivery, which landed in the hands of the wicketkeeper Pooran. The first over turned out to be a wicket maiden.
Marsh then got caught and bowled by Abbott for 10 as the team's score slumped to 37-2 inside five overs.
The dismissal brought captain Pant to the crease. Pant was looking in good touch before he lost his wicket for 26 off 16. SRH Shreyas Gopal bowled him to end his 48-run stand with Warner.
Powell joined Warner and the duo remained unbeaten till the end of the innings to power Delhi to a winning total.