When the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) hosted the Delhi Capitals (DC), the match was supposed to be a thriller. This one was about one batter taking the game completely out of reach. Abhishek Sharma did that for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and once he got going, Delhi Capitals were always chasing shadows.
A 68-ball 135 not out, filled with 10 sixes and 10 fours, powered SRH to 242/2. From there, the game was always about how long DC could hang in. They managed 195/9, and the 47-run margin actually felt closer than the contest really was.
Abhishek flips the game, DC lose grip in middle overs
At 67/0 in the Powerplay, this didn’t look like one of those outrageous SRH starts. In fact, it was their slowest Powerplay when both openers survived this season. Abhishek reached his fifty in 25 balls and then shifted gears in a way DC couldn’t respond to. The next fifty came in just 22 deliveries. By the time SRH crossed 180 in the 15th over, the bowling plans had completely fallen apart.
Delhi’s big call at the toss came back to hurt them. Instead of trusting himself, Axar Patel went towards part-time off-spin through Nitish Rana against two left-handers. On a ground where spinners have struggled, that risk didn’t hold. Rana ended with 0/55, and Abhishek alone took 45 off 15 balls against him. Meanwhile, both Axar and Kuldeep bowled just two overs each.
SRH scored 116/2 in the middle overs at nearly 13 an over and never really allowed DC to recover from there. Axar’s plans backfired big time as Sunrisers posted a huge total on the board. They won their first two matches defending scores and similar happened yesterday as well.
DC start well, then collapse from 107/1
At the start of their chase, Delhi actually stayed in the contest. At 107/1 in the 10th over, they were marginally ahead of SRH at the same stage. Nitish Rana (57 off 30) and KL Rahul had set things up nicely, keeping the required rate within reach.
But the game turned in the space of a few deliveries. From 107/1, DC slipped to 107/4. Rana, Rahul and David Miller fell in quick succession and suddenly DC were all over the place. Eshan Malinga was at the centre of it, picking up 4/32 and breaking the back of the innings.
Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs tried to push back, but by then the asking rate had climbed beyond 17. Once it touched 20-plus, it was only a matter of time.
IPL 2026 Points table after SRH vs DC game
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PBKS | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | +1.420 |
| 2 | RCB | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | +1.171 |
| 3 | SRH | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8 | +0.820 |
| 4 | RR | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | +0.599 |
| 5 | DC | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | -0.130 |
| 6 | GT | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | -0.821 |
| 7 | MI | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | +0.067 |
| 8 | CSK | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | -0.780 |
| 9 | LSG | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | -1.173 |
| 10 | KKR | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | -0.879 |
SRH move to third on the table with four wins in seven matches, and more importantly, they’ve found their rhythm again after a couple of setbacks. Abhishek, with 323 runs at a strike rate of 215.33, is now right at the top of the Orange Cap race.
Next IPL 2026 match (April 22)
| Match | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|
| LSG vs RR | Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
