IPL 2023, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vs Delhi Capitals (DC): Washington Sundar's 3-28, Axar Patel's 2-21 & 34 and Ishant Sharma-Kuldeep Yadav's combined 2-40 are top performances. Delhi Capitals beat SRH and stay at the bottom in points table.
Brief Scores: DC 144-9 (Manish 34, Axar 34, Sundar 3-28) defeat SRH 137-6 (Agarwal 49, Klaasen 31, Axar 2-21) by 7 runs
Player of the Match – Axar Patel – 34 (34) and 2-21
The captain of Delhi Capitals, David Warner won the toss and elected to bat first against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday. For Delhi, Prithvi Shaw was finally benched. SRH went with the same starting eleven as in their last game. In the last four encounters between the two teams, DC have been victorious in all.
Delhi win low-scoring encounter by 7 runs
Electing to bat first, DC would have hoped for a 170+ total on this wicket. However, it wasn’t the best of starts for the visitors as they lost Phil Salt on the third ball of the innings. Mitchell Marsh and David Warner somewhat consolidated as David Warner hit his first six of IPL 2023 and the duo was looking to change gears before Marsh was dismissed by Thangarasu Natarajan. After seven overs, DC were 57-2 and a triple wicket over from Washington Sundar derailed Delhi’s innings to 62-5 within six deliveries. A sensible, composed 69-run partnership between Axar Patel and Manish Pandey helped somewhat bring DC back to life from ventilators but not before a series of run outs restricted them to 144-9 at the end of their 20 overs.
Chasing just over seven runs per over, Harry Brook looked out of sorts while Mayank was given the free hand and both helped SRH reached 36-1 after six overs as Brook was clean bowled attempting a scoop shot of Anrich Nortje. In the next six over phase, SRH almost played a copy past of the powerplay, scoring 37 runs and again losing a wicket to stumble onto 73-2 at the end of 12 overs. SRH needed 72 runs in eight overs and DC were looking like they were slowly and gradually getting back into the game. Overs between 12 to 15, SRH could only manage 16 runs but lost three crucial wickets of Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram and Abhishek Sharma. The game kept going away from SRH as even Heinrich Klaassen and Sundar’s cameos couldn’t save them, courtesy some pin point yorkers from Mukesh Kumar who defended 13 off the final six balls to give DC their fifth consecutive win over SRH by 7 runs.
Talking Point: SRH batting looked out of sorts
SRH batting approach look as confused as a toddler looking to solve Rubik’s cube. Brook seems to be struggling on pitches where there is slightest of help for the bowlers. Axar Patel yet again saved a depleted DC with his all-round performance. Mukesh Kumar’s accurate yorkers were the silver lining for Delhi in the death overs.
Top three performances from SRH vs DC, IPL 2023
‘WWW’ashington Sundar’s triple wicket flattens DC
The man who was wicketless up until the 33rd match of the tournament, Washington Sundar, came back to form in quite some fashion. When DC were consolidating with David Warner and Manish Panday, Washi first dismissed Warner off a very loose delivery down the leg side. Then, Sarfaraz Khan followed the path of DC captain and got out attempting a sweep shot. As they say, one brings two, two bring three. Aman Khan didn’t want to disappoint the proverb and gifted Washington the third wicket of this over playing a nothing shot. A waste of a wicket when two wickets were already down in the over.
Washington picked a wicket on every alternate delivery in this over as he returned with an impactful bowling performance of 3-28. Sundar left an impact with the bat too as his 14-ball 24 runs in the chase almost won the game for SRH.
Axar, the all-rounder, Patel comes to the party
When DC were 62-5 after about seven overs, not many would have backed them to post anything above 140. However, a crucial 69-run partnership between Axar Patel and Manish Pandey saved DC. At one point Axar was scoring below a strike rate of 60 with 13 runs off 23 deliveries. That wasn’t a defensive innings by any means, but respecting the conditions, DC’s situation and the bowlers. Patel was then quick to shift gears as he targeted Mayank Markande for a couple of boundaries to end up with 34 off 34 deliveries.
If Axar, the batter, wasn’t enough, Axar, the bowler, changed the momentum completely into DC’s favour. Two crucial wickets of Mayank Agarwal and SRH captain Aiden Markram in the middle overs, conceding just 21 in his four overs was the momentum-breaker DC needed in this low scoring match.
Ishant Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav’s economical & wicket taking spells bring DC back in the game
The beaming in-swinger on the second delivery of the innings which Harry Brook left alone just missed the top of top stump hinted towards Ishant Sharma’s good rhythm with the ball. That in-swinger from Ishant almost turned back the clock to the famous 2007 Test series against Australia where Ricky Ponting was bamboozled by the Delhi seamer. Ishant came back in the 13th over to dismiss Rahul Tripathi with a peach of a delivery which straightened after pitching to take a thick edge to the keeper.
Another Indian international star, Kuldeep Yadav showcased his class and deceived the batters with his variations. Kuldeep took an excellent caught and bowled to dismiss Abhishek Sharma to dislodge the SRH middle order. Between the two, they bowled seven overs to pick two wickets and gave just 40 runs away.
Points Table Scenario & What's Next
The points table remain unchanged but now three teams are on four points with DC still at the bottom of the points table. The defending champions, Gujarat Titans will face the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium on April 25.
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IPL 2023 Points Table
Top twitter reactions from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vs Delhi Capitals (DC)
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