IPL 2020: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Delhi Capitals by 88 runs, hand over 3rd consecutive defeat

In a must-win game Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) came all guns blazing to thrash second-placed Delhi Capitals by 88 runs in Dubai on Tuesday. With the win SRH climbed one spot to the 6th on points table. The defeat for Capitals is their third on the trot now.

SRH were all-over Delhi Capitals from ball one of the match. Jonny Bairstow being dropped and Wriddhiman Saha opening with David Warner surprised everyone but the strategy turned out to be a master stroke. Saha's scintilating 45-ball 87 brought back the memories of his hundred in the final of IPL 2014. David Warner, on the other hand thought of gifting himself a swanky 34-ball 66 innings to celebrate of his special day. In the bowling department Rashid Khan ended up taking 3 vital Capitals wicket.

After giving away 219 runs in 20 overs, Delhi Capitals underwent a horror start. Sandeep Sharma got Shikhar Dhawan on a golden duck on the 3rd ball of first over. Shahbaz Nadeem got the first wicket of the season after dismissing Marcus Stoinis (5) in the second over.

Shimron Hetmyer (16) and Ajinkya Rahane (26) tried building a partenrship but the two departed within the span of 4 balls in the 7th over. Rashid Khan in his 1-run and 2-wicket first over burried Delhi deep enough to make the match a one-sided affair.

There was a 23-run partenrship between Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer (7) then but that too ended with the wicket of Iyer in in 12th over. Axar Patel (1) and Kagiso Rabada (3) followed their captain shortly.

DC's highest run-scorer in the match Rishabh Pant (36) lost patience and was the 8th one to go in the 17th over.

A fear of getting bowled out before the end of 20 overs was lurking around as Ravichnadran Ashwin and Tushar



Deshapande counter attacked to stitch 22 runs off 11 balls. Holder ended that resistance on the last delivery of 18th over by getting Ashwin.

T Natarajan got Anrich Nortje on the last ball of 19th over to bowl out DC for the first time in the season.

That's what birthday boy and SRH captain David Warner said after put into bat by his Delhi Capitals counterpart Shreyas Iyer in Dubai. David Warner and Wriddhiman Saha gave Sunrisers Hyderabad a flying start and aggregated 77 runs from the Powerplay, the most by any team in IPL 2020.

The duo toyed with a strong Delhi Capitals bowling attack and found boundaries on their whims and fancies. They took the team's total to three-digit mark in just 9 overs. Warner brought up his fifty off just 25 deliveries and was looking set for a hundred but Ashwin finally struck to dismiss the Australian and break his 107-run stand with Saha.

The dismissal was expected to bring reprieve for the Capitals but Saha had some other plans. He shifted gears further after Warner's departure and completed his first fifty of the season in just 27 balls. He continued smoking fours and sixes off Axar Patel, Purple Cap holder Kagiso Rabada and was just 13 runs away from his 2nd IPL ton when Nortje got his precious wicket on the third ball of 15th over. SRH had put 170 runs on the board already by then.

With, 33 balls still remaining, a total of 250 did not look far. Manish Pandey (44* off 31) continued with the onslaught to keep the scoreboard moving but Delhi bowlers were successful in containing Kane Williamson on the other hand. But at the end of 20 overs, Delhi Capitals could not stop Sunrisers Hyderabad from posting 219/9. The total is highest at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in IPL 2020.