Delhi Capitals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in an IPL encounter in Dubai on Wednesday.
Chasing a target of 135, Delhi Capitals reached in 17.5 overs with Shikhar Dhawan (42), Shreyas Iyer (47 not out) and Rishabh Pant (35 not out) scoring the runs with ease.
Earlier, Anrich Nortje (2/12),, Kagiso Rabada (3/37) and Axar Patel (2/21) did their bit in restricting SRH.
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Brief Scores:
SRH 134 for 9 (Abdul Samad 28, Axar Patel 2/21, Kagiso Rabada 3/37, Anrich Nortje 2/12) DC 139/2 in 17.5 overs (Shreyas Iyer 47 no, Shikhar Dhawan 42, Rishabh Pant 35).
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Poor batting from Sunrisers Hyderabad made it easier for Delhi Capitals to stay on course to regain the top spot on the IPL points-table. DC was looking at a modest target of 135 for its seventh victory in nine matches.
SRH battled from 78 for five after 14 overs to score 56 runs in the last six overs, thanks mainly to Abdul Samad and Rashid Khan.
At the toss, Kane Williamson’s decision to bat suited Rishabh Pant to chase a target, something DC had not done at Dubai.
Eventful over
Speedster Anrich Nortje’s eventful first over set the tone. The return of former skipper David Warner ended in a three-ball duck. He failed to read the pace and the leading edge to Axar Patel resulted in his first duck since April 2016. A ball later DC lost its review following a leg-before appeal.
Nortje’s pace-partner from South Africa, Kagiso Rabada doubled SRH’s woes. The fourth bowler to be introduced within five overs of PowerPlay, the speedster was welcomed with a first-ball six by Wriddiman Saha. But soon Rabada had the last laugh when Saha’s intended pull landed into the waiting hands of Shikhar Dhawan.
After SRH finished the PowerPlay at 32 for two, Williamson and Manish Pandey accelerated with caution. With the skipper looking to anchor the innings, Pandey played the aggressor. But the duo disappointed in quick succession.
Dropped twice in the space of four deliveries — by Pant off R. Ashwin and by Prithvi Shaw off Axar Patel — Williamson holed out off the next ball, with Shimron Hetmyer accepting the offering wide of long-off.
Rabada, back with his second over, resumed with an easy return catch to send back Pandey. This left SRH tottering at 61/4 in the 11th over.
With the creamy layer of the SRH back in the dugout, DC went for the brittle middle-order.
Nortje sent back Kedar Jadhav who took SRH’s review with him. The top half of SRH had come off with just 74 on the board.
Jason Holder hit a no-ball six off Rabada to raise SRH’s hopes but became Axar’s second victim, with Shaw completing the dismissal.
Thereafter, Samad and Rashid scored useful runs but DC stayed in control.