Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals Highlights: An all-round performance from Delhi Capitals defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 7 runs in a low-scoring thriller at Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in India Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Monday (April 24). Sunrisers Hyderabad have now lost six out of seven matches while languishing at the bottom in IPL 2023 points table, at 9th position in 10-team tournament but notably above Delhi due to better Net Run Rate. Tonight, for the first time in the history of IPL, Delhi defended a target of 150 or under across 16 seasons. After getting restricted to 144 due to poor batting, Delhi bowlers came up with a spirited bowling performance to script history.
Hyderabad started off well, scoring just 36 runs off the powerplay but Delhi put a cap on the run flow with some tight bowling in middle overs. Washington Sundar, who took 3 wickets in first innings, scored 28 off 2 overs to keep Hyderabad alive in the hunt, bringing down the equation to 23 needed off the last 2 overs. Delhi's Mukesh Kumar held his nerve to defend 13 off final 6 balls with a fielding restriction in place (only 4 fielders outside 30-yard circle).
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Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and decided to bowl first against Delhi Capitals. Delhi's batting frailties were exposed badly tonight by spin all-rounder Washington Sundar and veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The duo together dismissed five Delhi Capitals batters, breaking their opponents' back completely by taking regular wickets, eventually restricting them to a paltry 144 for nine. Sundar (4-0-28-3), who remained wicketless in his first six games in IPL 2023, picked three wickets today and that too in the same over. Then Bhuvneswhar Kumar bowled a great bowling spell of 4-0-11-2, which included the key wickets of Phil Salt (0) and Akshar Patel (34) to rattle Delhi further.
DC captain Warner fell for a 20-ball 21 on the second ball while trying to sweep. Delhi sunk further as comeback batter Sarfaraz Khan returned back to the dugout for just 10. Aman Khan then was cleaned up by Sundar. DC's No 3 Mitchell Marsh started off really well but he failed to convert that good start into a long innings as he got trapped leg-before for a 15-ball 25.
Delhi Capitals were 57 for 2 at one point in the match but lost wickets regularly and were pushed to 62 for 5 after the powerplay. Axar Patel (34) and Manish Pandey (34) batted cautiously to steady their team's sinking ship. Their partnership started in the ninth over.
Pandey and Patel notched up 69-run stand for sixth wicket off just 59 balls to prevent a total collapse and help Delhi Capitals go past the 100-run mark.