IPL 2021, DC vs SRH as it happened: Pant, Iyer take DC to the top of the points table

DC 126/2 after 17.5 overs: Iyer finishes things off with a six. 14 points for DC and they are now sitting pretty at the top of the points tables. A superb performance by a team that showed why it is fast becoming the team to beat in the IPL. A comprehensive win.

DC 126/2 after 17 overs: Pant brings up the 50-run stand with Iyer with another pulled six. 16 runs from the Khaleel over and DC are almost home... they need 9 off 18 balls now.

DC 110/2 after 16 overs: Bhuvneshwar dropped one short and Pant smashed it into the stands. 11 runs from the over and DC now need 25 runs in 24 balls.

DC 99/2 after 15 overs: Delhi Capitals need 36 runs in 30 balls. Just need to be careful here. They wouldn’t want to repeat Punjab’s performance. Iyer is looking good but Pant is looking for some rhythm.

DC 96/2 after 14 overs: Iyer with a four to ease the pressure off the third ball. The fourth ball was smashed in the same area for another four. Not great bowling by Sandeep, who was surprisingly not given the new ball today.

DC 80/2 after 12 overs: Rishabh Pant not wasting any time in showing his aggressive intent. After a big swing and miss, he hits a four off his third ball. 7 from Holder’s over

Over 10.5: WICKET! S Dhawan (42) is out, c Abdul Samad b Rashid Khan, 72/2

Rashid Khan usually finds a way when he is challenged. Dhawan once again tries for a big shot in the Afghan’s over, but this time is caught at deep square leg. End of another good innings from the DC opener. Perhaps a window for SRH?

DC 69/1 after 10 overs: Clinical from Dhawan! Two boundaries, back-to-back, in Sandeep Sharma’s over. The second was a delightful inside out shot. He has moved into the 40s.

DC 60/1 after 9 overs: Shreyas Iyer’s turn to take on Rashid Khan and hit a six! Interesting from DC, not letting Rashid settle into a rhythm is the plan it would seem. Teams do tend to play him out.

Rashid to get things going after the timeout

DC 51/1 after 8 overs: Dhawan doing the heavylifting for the moment with Holder and Sandeep Sharma operating, as Shreyas takes his time to get set. Going at run-a-ball this partnership, DC won’t mind that. SRH need wickets. Timeout called.

DC 39/1 after 6 overs: Shikhar Dhawan with a signature slog sweep over midwicket for a superb six! Any boundary in Rashid’s over is a bonus really. DC ensure they finish powerplay at 6.00 RPO+

Rashid Khan to finish off the powerplay

DC 29/1 after 5 overs: Top over by Bhuvi. Shaw’s wicket has helped SRH keep things in check in the powerplay.

DC 27/1 after 4 overs: Dhawan with a signature drive on the up for a four past mid-off. Lovely shot.

DC 20/1 after 2.5 overs: WICKET! Shaw going on the attack and then perishing. Picked one over the infield on the leg-side for his first four and then an edge over the slip area got him his second. Smart bowling by Khaleel and a brilliant catch by Williamson cut short the innings though. The left-armer bowled it a little wider and Shaw skied it. Williamson, running back, took a very smart catch. Prithvi Shaw c Williamson b Khaleel Ahmed 11(8)

DC 12/0 after 2 overs: Dhawan got off to a better start against Bhuvneshwar. Two fours – one thanks to a ball on the legs and the second was just placed into the gap past mid-on.

DC 4/0 after 1 over: Nice over by Khaleel Ahmed to start things off for SRH. He extracted some good movement and bounce from the surface to have Dhawan playing false strokes on a couple of occasions. Four runs from the over.

SRH: 134/9 after 20 overs Abdul Samad and Rashid Khan give a late push to SRH with some useful hits while Kagiso Rabada (3) and Anrich Nortje (2) share five wickets between them.

Over 19.6: WICKET! Sandeep Sharma (0) run out (Rishabh Pant), 134/9

After missing a direct hit the previous ball, Pant gets it right. Two run outs in the final over.

Over 19.4: WICKET! Rashid Khan (22) run out (sub [Steve Smith]/Rishabh Pant)

Rashid’s cameo comes to an end with a run out, as he tried to steal a two.

SRH 125/7 after 19 overs: Rashid Khan is giving a late boost to this SRH innings. A six and four behind the stumps on offside off Rabada. 4-0-37-3 for Rabada, as he finishes with a 14-run over.

Over 18.2: WICKET! Abdul Samad (28) is out, c Rishabh Pant b Kagiso Rabada, 115/7

Four and out. Samad’s impressive little innings comes to an end. Smashes one down the ground for four, then skies one for Pant to catch at fine leg. Third for Rabada.

Correction: SRH 111/6 after 18 overs:

SRH 111/6 after 18 overs: Back in UAE, back dominating with pace. Superb from Nortje, finishes with 2/12 in his 4 overs.

SRH 107/6 after 17 overs: It was shaping into an alright over from Avesh Khan before last ball no ball, leading to a free hit six. Samad with a super hit over midwicket. He can pack a punch.

SRH 97/6 after 16 overs: A few minutes of entertainment guaranteed with Samad and Rashid in the middle now. A boundary for the Afghan spinner in that Axar over.

Over 15.1: WICKET! Jason Holder (10) c Prithvi Shaw b Axar Patel, 90/6

That’s a bonus wicket for DC really. They had to find an over from a spinner given Stoinis has walked off, and Pant gives the ball to Axar. Holder connects with a drive well but hits it straight to Shaw at cover.

SRH 90/5 after 15 overs: Finally something to cheer for SRH fans after a while. A no ball from Rabada, the free hit is edged behind the wicket for six by the long swinging levers of Holder.

SRH 78/5 after 14 overs: Just 1s and 0s on the scoreboard at the moment for SRH. Ashwin with another tidy over.

Over 12.6: WICKET! Kedar Jadhav (3) lbw Anrich Nortje, 74/5

Another 147kph delivery from Nortje and Jadhav is trapped plumb in front! IT felt like the most LBW of all LBWs but the SRH batsman reviewed it anyway. Three reds.

SRH 71/4 after 12 overs: Better second over from Ashwin, just 5 singles off it.

SRH 66/4 after 11 overs: Samad and Jadhav are the two batters in the middle now. Hetmyer gifts SRH a four with a basic misfield at the boundary and camera cuts to Ponting of course.

Over 10.1: WICKET! Manish Pandey (17) c & b Kagiso Rabada, 61/4

Oh dear, a familiar batting collapse unfolding for SRH here. Rabada returns to the attack and has Manish caught and bowled.

Over 9.5: WICKET! Kane Williamson (18) c Shimron Hetmyer b Axar Patel, 60/3

Dropped by Pant off Ashwin. Dropped by Shaw off Axar. Caught by Hetmyer off Axar. Kane Williamson’s charmed innings in the middle comes to an end. Strange phase of play. Looks like Williamson had made his mind up to just go after the bowling no matter what and he has paid the price with his wicket. Struggled today.

SRH 58/2 after 9 overs: After a horror start to his spell, a delightful carrom ball from Ashwin gets the outside edge of Williamson. Pant puts it down.

Stoinis has walked off the field, Ashwin will complete the 9th over.

TIMEOUT: Oh dear, Marcus Stoinis pulls up at the end of his run-up and seems to be indicating he can’t continue here. A timeout is taken in the meantime. Usually not a good sign when a bowler pulls up like that. SRH 45/2 (8.1)

SRH 43/2 after 7 overs: The SRH innings is currently heading nowhere. Axar Patel keeps it to 4 runs in his 2nd over. Some attempted big shots from Manish but seems the pitch is two-paced. No timing for either batter at the moment.

SRH 39/2 after 7 overs: Just that one over for Rabada in the powerplay, presumably being kept for the death overs. Stoinis with a 7-run 7th over.

SRH 32/2 after 6 overs: Avesh Khan returns to complete the powerplay with a tidy over. Delhi Capitals will be delighted with this start.

Over 4.6: WICKET! Wriddhiman Saha (18) c Shikhar Dhawan b Kagiso Rabada, 29/2

Saha welcomes Rabada to the attack with a six but the SA pacer has the last laugh. SRH have lost their openers in the powerplay. The six was a lovely pick-up shot but seemed like he got beaten for pace with the short ball.

SRH 23/1 after 4 overs: Axar Patel gets hit for a four off the first ball by Saha but comes back well in the rest of the over.

STAT ALERT: Anrich Nortje is playing his first match of IPL 2021 and has owned the speed gun already!

SRH 16/1 after 3 overs: Another fiery over from Nortje. But Saha and Williamson hold steady. Pant brings on spin from the other end, Axar to bowl his first.

SRH 12/1 after 2 overs: Another boundary for SRH, the first one of the bat. Saha puts away a short ball from Avesh.

SRH 6/1 after 1 over: Fiery first over from Nortje. A wicket for Delhi and also their review lost after a Pant goes upstairs for LBW against Williamson. Massive inside edge.

Over 0.3: WICKET! D Warner (0) c Axar Patel b Anrich Nortje, 0/1

Fire from Nortje! The South African speedster has Warner beaten for pace and the Australian is out for a three-ball duck in the first over.

David Warner is back in the XI and is back in the middle as the opener. Wriddhiman Saha, who was impressive at the back-end of IPL 2020 in UAE, is Warner’s opening partner today.

We are set for the start.

DelhiCapitals overseas players: Stoinis, Hetmyer, Nortje, Rabada

SRH overseas players: Warner, Williamson, Rashid, Holder 

Away from the IPL, an interesting development in the world of cricket today...

TEAM NEWS

DC: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje

SRH: Kane Williamson (C), David Warner, Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed 

TOSS: Kane Williamson wins the toss and SRH will be batting first.

IPL 2021: Rishabh Pant’s level of maturity has gone through the roof, says DC coach Ricky Ponting

“Rishabh’s level of maturity in the last two seasons has gone through the roof. When I first came in, he just burst on to the scene. I had said we are going to see the unearthing of someone who is going to play for India for a long time. I could see that coming. I could see how much he wanted to be in every Indian team. It will take a very good player to knock him off that Indian team.”

— Ponting on Pant

06.45 pm: Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the IPL 2021 match between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

In case you missed it earlier today, there has been another Covid-19 scare with the Indian Premier League. The 2021 edition was already suspended in May mid-way, but has resumed this week in United Arab Emirates. And on Wednesday, SRH pacer T Natarajan tested positive for Covid-19 inside the bubble. However, the league has announced the match will go ahead.

Here’s the IPL statement from earlier today:

Sunrisers Hyderabad player T Natarajan tested positive for COVID-19 at a scheduled RT-PCR test. The player has isolated himself from the rest of the squad. He is currently asymptomatic.

The medical team has identified the below mentioned six close contacts of the player, who have also been placed in isolation:

1. Vijay Shankar - Player
2. Vijay Kumar - Team Manager
3. Shyam Sundar J - Physiotherapist
4. Anjana Vannan - Doctor
5. Tushar Khedkar - Logistics Manager
6. Periyasamy Ganesan - Net Bowler

The rest of the contingent including the close contacts underwent RT-PCR tests at 5AM local time this morning and the test reports are negative. As a result, tonight’s game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals will go ahead at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai.