IPL 2022: Clinical Delhi Capitals defeat SRH to keep their playoff hopes alive

Mumbai: Brilliant unbeaten half-centuries by David Warner and Rovman Powell were backed by clinical performances from Delhi Capitals bowlers as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 21 runs here at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

This is DC's 5th win in IPL 2022 while SRH fell to their 5th loss of the season, both teams have played 10 games and now have 10 points each. Rishabh Pant-led team have now moved to 5th on the points table, as they have better NRR (Net Run Rate) in comparison to SRH.

DC opener Warner played a gritty knock of 92 which was laced with 12 fours and three sixes. The Aussie was well accompanied by Powell who smashed six maximums and three fours in his innings of 67 runs. The duo stitched an unbeaten 122-run stand to power Delhi Capitals to a massive total of 207 for 3 in 20 overs.

In reply, SRH batters never looked up to the mark as they were able to make just 186/8 in the assigned 20 overs, falling 21 runs short of the target. Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram were the only stand out batters among SRH as they played innings of 62 and 42 respectively. For

Delhi, Khaleel Ahmed bagged three wickets while Shradul Thakur took two wickets. Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Marsh, and Kuldeep Yadav scalped one wicket each.

Chasing 208, Khaleel Ahmed and Anrich Nortje struck in the powerplay for DC to send back Abhishek Sharma and SRH skipper Kane Williamson back into the pavilion. The score of Men in Orange read 35/2 after the first six overs.

In the 7th over, Mitchell Marsh also joined the wicket-taking party as he removed Rahul Tripathi. Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran then tried to steady the ship for SRH. The duo stitched a quick 50-run stand.

The 60-run partnership off 35 balls came to an end in the 13th over after Khaleel dismissed dangerous-looking Markram.
In the 15th over Shardul Thakur got the better of Shashank Singh. With wickets falling at one end, the West Indian cricketer Powell continued his charge against DC bowlers. In the 17th over, Powell brought up his back-to-back fifty in the IPL 2022 before Khaleel Ahmed bagged his third wicket of the match in form of Sean Abbott.

Nicholas Pooran got out in the 18th over as SRH's hopes of winning the contest went up in the smoke. The last over saw Kuldeep Yadav removing Kartik Tyagi as SRH ended at 186/8.

Earlier, put to bat first, Delhi Capitals got off a poor start, as the opener Mandeep Singh was dismissed by pacer Bhubaneshwar Kumar after edging an outside off-stump delivery, which landed in the hands of the wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran. The first over turned out to be a wicket maiden.

Debutant Sean Abbott was handed the ball in the second over. He was welcomed by compatriots David Warner and Mitchell Marsh with two great boundaries. Marsh survived an LBW appeal at the end of the over. Kumar's second over also proved to be cheap, as he gave away only one run.

Pace sensation Umran Malik's first over, the fourth of the innings, proved to be really expensive. Warner got the best of the pacer, hitting him for two fours and a six in an over in which Malik gave away 21 runs, shifting the momentum to DC and pushing their rebuilding efforts to the next level. Marsh started off the next over with a bang, producing a four, before being caught and bowled by Abbott for 10 at team's score of 37.

The dismissal brought captain Pant to the crease. Kartik Tyagi, making his debut for the franchise, came to deliver the sixth over. He was welcomed with two fours by Warner, who was looking in good touch. At the end of the powerplay, DC had posted a solid 50 runs on the board, though at the loss of two wickets, with Warner (31*) and Pant (2*) at the crease.

Spin was introduced to the attack in the seventh over, with SRH debutant Shreyas Gopal. Warner was looking good while Pant struggled to go big initially. With three consecutive sixes and a four in Gopal's ninth over, the southpaw ended his drought of big hits. The bowler ended up with the last laugh though as he clean bowled Pant for 26 off 16 at the end of his over, putting an end to a solid 48-run stand between him and Warner.

At the end of 10 overs, the Capitals stood at 91 at the loss of three wickets, with Warner (47*) and Powell (1*) standing. Gopal started off the second half of the innings, hit by Powell for a six over wide long-off. Soon Warner also brought his half-century, his fourth this season with a pull shot over midwicket. Powell and Warner carried on with targeting the SRH attack, with consistent strike rotation and big hits at regular intervals. Powell survived a drop attempt in the 14th over. Warner brought the 50-run stand between him and Powell with a four through the deep extra cover region on the final ball of the over.

At the beginning of the 15th over, Powell survived another catch attempt by Kane Williamson at mid-off, which he capitalised well by hitting Bhubaneshwar Kumar for a six in the 16th over. The batter eventually found his groove and hit Abbott for two sixes and a four in the 17th over. Warner also continued his good touch with the bat with consistent hits and strike rotation. His four off Kumar's fourth ball of 19th over also brought an explosive 100 run partnership off just 59 balls between the duo.

Powell also brought his maiden half-century of IPL with a six off Malik's first ball of the final over. DC finished off the innings with a bang, with 70 runs in the final five overs. The final score for the Capitals read 207/3.

Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 207/3 (David Warner 92*, Rovman Powell 67*, Kumar 1/25) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad 186/8 (Nicholas Pooran 62, Aiden Markram 42; Khaleel Ahmed 3/30). (ANI)