IPL 2023: DC hold their nerve against SRH in low-scoring thriller to register second consecutive win

Delhi Capitals defended a below-par 145 against Sunrisers Hyderabad to defeat the home team by 7 runs in a low-scoring thriller at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.

DC were confined to 144/7 in 20 overs but that did not deter their bowlers from putting on a memorable show to restrict SRH to 137/6 in return.

The left-handed Axar (34) lifted Delhi from a precarious 62-5 to 144-9 in a gritty partnership of 69 with Manish Pandey (34) on Hyderabad’s home turf and then returned figures of 2-21 with his left-arm spin.

Although Harry Brook was dismissed early by Anrich Nortje (2/33), Mayank Agarwal looked in good touch. However, the hosts only scored 36 runs in the powerplay. DC further controlled the flow of scoring in the middle overs as spinners Kuldeep Yadav (1/22) and Axar Patel (2/21) dented the chase.

First, Mayank Agarwal (49) and Rahul Tripathi (15) were dismissed in back-to-back overs. Then, the spinners added to SRH’s woes by dismissing Aiden Markram (3) and Abhishek Sharma (5), respectively.

Heinrich Klaasen smashed the first six of the innings in the 17th over, and he and Washington Sundar kept their team in the chase by scoring 28 runs off two overs, reducing the equation to 23 runs needed off the final two overs.

Nortje dismissed the well-set and dangerous Klaasen in the penultimate over and conceded just 10 runs off it. SRH needed 13 runs to win in the final over and Mukesh Kumar held his nerve to defend the paltry total and hand DC their second consecutive win.

Opting to bat first, DC’s lineup struggled for rhythm once again. Back to face his former employers, David Warner was out for 21 as Washington Sundar picked up three wickets in one over.

Axar Patel and Manish Pandey however, took DC to what eventually was a winning total.

“I ordered for coffee and I left the glass like that, when three wickets fell in one over,” man of the match Axar said with a smile. “Pandey and I discussed we need to take it as deep as possible.”

For SRH, Sundar returned figures of 3-28 with his mystery spin as he struck three times in one over including the wicket of Warner. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets and the innings witnessed three run outs. However, the two were on the losing side at Hyderabad on Tuesday.

With AFP inputs