Abhishek Sharma’s unbeaten 135 off 68 balls, which included ten flamboyant sixes and as many fours, catapulted Sunrisers Hyderabad to their third consecutive win as Delhi Capitals went down by 47 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Tuesday, April 21. On the virtue of a healthier net run rate, Sunrisers Hyderabad usurped the third-placed Rajasthan Royals on the table. An exhibition of power-hitting, skilful bowling, and astute captaincy made it an all-round performance from the side that had a bumpy start to the season.
On the flip side, Delhi Capitals find themselves in a chasing conundrum. Pursuing a target in excess of 200 has proved an insurmountable task as they’ve failed to cross the line on three such occasions this season. It is safe to say that when the scoreboard pressure cranks up, their batting unit is on pins and needles. The lack of consistent partnerships is glaring, and their tactical calls haven’t always made sense, be it the Impact Player picks or the bowling changes. For example, eyebrows were raised when Nitish Rana was given a full quota of overs while Kuldeep Yadav was afforded just two.
Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head began with a measured approach, hovering around 8 runs per over. However, they upped the ante in the fifth over by cudgeling part-timer Nitish for 26 runs, and henceforth, there was none stopping the carnage until the very end. Having reached his first fifty at a strike rate of 200 and the second in merely 22 balls, Abhishek carried his bat through the crackerjack of an innings that saw him equal Virat Kohli’s record for the most T20 tons by an Indian – 9.
Delhi Capitals would rue their blemishes in the field, for Abhishek was handed two lifelines. Firstly, in the 9th over, KL Rahul bungled up a run-out, and then Nitish Rana dropped a swirling catch in the 14th. Along with partner-in-crime Travis Head, who scored 37 off 26, and his captain Ishan Kishan, whose quick-fire cameo was terminated by an unlucky run-out at the non-striker’s end, Abhishek subjected Delhi Capitals to a leather hunt.
A top contender for the Orange Cap, Heinrich Klaasen hit the ground running. His entry point was crucial from the perspective of Sunrisers Hyderabad as the opener had been showing signs of fatigue. Klaasen delivered the finishing kick, his 37* off just 13 ushering the total to 242/2 as a 20-run last over consigned Mukesh Kumar to an awful economy of 13.20. For a team improficient at batting second, this was always going to be a bridge too far.
Nervous nineties simply do not exist for this man 😬
🎥 An unforgettable way for Abhishek Sharma to bring up his HUNDRED! 🌟
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The second essay kicked off with a fascinating Sri Lankan duel, as Dilshan Madhusanka was handed the new ball against Pathum Nissanka. He didn’t take long to make his mark, getting his compatriot caught at mid-off with an away-angler on a hard length. Signed up as an injury replacement for Brydon Carse, the youngster proved to be an inspired ‘Impact Player’ choice for Sunrisers Hyderabad. For a while, KL Rahul and Nitish Rana kept Delhi in the hunt, pouncing on slow bouncers to fetch stylish sixes over point. However, the complexion of the game changed at the halfway stage, with the scoreboard past 100, as Sakib Hussain sent down a full toss. In what appeared to be a muscle-memory shot, Rahul whipped the freebie straight to deep backward square.
That breakthrough triggered a classic domino effect. From 107/1, Delhi Capitals slipped to an alarming 107/4 as Rana and David Miller followed Rahul to the pavilion. Malinga dealt both the blows, with Rana’s loft finding an acrobatic Abhishek and Miller dragging on a peach back to the stumps. It was a brute of an over that completely sucked the life out of the chase. However, Malinga was not done for the night just yet. The islander foxed Tristan Stubbs with a cutter as the South African attempted one scoop too many, and went on to depart Ashutosh Sharma to virtually snuff out any hope of Delhi Capitals’ resurgence. Sameer Rizvi’s fighting 41 off 28 was all but a footnote in a forgettable outing.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling attack deserves plaudits for their execution, including Harsh Dubey who put the final nail in the coffin with three wickets in the 20th over despite being introduced as late as the 17th over when the required rate for Delhi Capitals had ascended to 19. Malinga was the standout performer, his figures of 4-32 leaving him hot on the heels of Anshul Kamboj in the race for the Purple Cap.
While Sunrisers Hyderabad have exhibited their bouncebackability to salvage a derailing campaign, the mood in their opposition camp is starkly different. Delhi Capitals have a lot of soul-searching to do. Is the current batting order too fragile for these demanding chases? Should they reconsider the gamble of playing Nitish Rana at number three? More importantly, Why did chief Axar Patel bat too low after having enjoyed his fair share of success as an enforcer in recent times? Situated smack dab in the middle with three victories and as many losses, Delhi Capitals eye more points before the qualification scenarios loom overhead, a search that is tethered to their ability to discover the right combination.
