IPL 2022: Delhi Capitals’ Warner and Khaleel haunt their former team in 21-run win

Sunrisers captain Williamson’s luck continued with the toss, but on the field it has now run dry as his much-vaunted bowling was once again shredded to pieces. His trumpcard Umran Malik came in for some severe punishment with the pacer conceding 52 runs in his four overs without a wicket. The batters seemed to have found a way to tackle Malik, hitting him straight through the line.

Warner, who along with skipper Rishabh Pant and Rovman Powell, plundered runs to take the total past 200 for the second successive match. Sunrisers are not used to chasing the total in excess of 175 and from the time they began, they never were in the game.

Pooran's knock in vain

It's unfortunate that Hyderabad had to drop Washington Sundar and Natarajan due to injuries, the most economical bowlers in the league. But the main worry seems to be the batting form of Sunrisers, especially to that of Williamson.

But for Nicholas Pooran’s second successive battling half-century, again for a losing cause, Sunrisers batting leaves a lot to be desired and the slower wickets are letting the batters play the shots to their whims.

With the third straight loss, Hyderabad have too many holes to plug. They are in the striking distance to reach the playoffs, but still it could the case of so near yet so far.

How it happened

Pooran’s gallant knock comes to an end

Pooran goes to a waist-high full toss and Sunrisers sink neck deep. The last hope for Hyderabad departs after a fighting 62 off 34, but it was too much for him. He can leave with his head held high as otherwise, Sunrisers would have lost long ago. This will at least not damage the net run rate. After 18 overs, SRH are 165/7.

Extra wickets putting pressure on West Indian

Sunrisers must be rueing the extra wickets. Delhi and Sunrisers are almost level in runs, but Capitals had both Warner and Powell attacking from both ends, while Pooran was not getting the same support from Abbott. A brilliant half-century, his second straight 50, coming off 29 balls will only help in Hyderabad reducing the margin. With Abbott also gone, Hyderabad tail will have to shore up with Pooran. After 17 overs, SRH are 153/6, needing 55 from 18 balls. The West Indian need to take full strike. Khaleel completed a good spell, 3/30 off 4 overs.

Pooran waging a lone battle

Pressure mounting on Pooran. The left-hander is again waging a lone battle and Shashank Singh has also departed after the over got plenty of runs. There’s not much differentiates both teams in terms of runs, but the wickets are too many. Probably the last wicket who could make some useful partnership. After 15 overs, SRH are 134/5.

After Markram, Pooran is SRH’s only hope

Pain, despair and joy… all in two balls for Khaleel. The left-arm pacer had to take a blow on his left chest from a stunning straight drive off Pooran. After dropping the catch, Khaleel’s pain must have increased many fold. The next ball, he had Markram caught by Kuldeep at long-off to once again halt Hyderabad’s progress. Pooran is the only hope now. After 13, SRH are 101/4.

Markram keeping Sunrisers in the chase

Markram is now dealing in sixes and fours, more importantly he is keeping the Sunrisers closer to the required run rate. Last three overs have resulted in 13, 14 and 15 runs. However, the South African has survived a couple of close calls and any error will damage Hyderabad hopes. After 12 overs, SRH are 90/3, needing another 118 from 48 balls.

Sunrisers looking down the barrell

Sunrisers have not found even their first gear and need to go overdrive in the rest of the period. It’s not the right situation, three wickets gone, required run rate over 14.5 an over, the Hyderabad team is looking down the barrel. In the next 11 overs, they have to score 160 runs. But Pooran and Markram are capable of doing it. Will they manage? Let’s wait and watch.

Sunrisers’ biggest hope Tripathi goes

Tripathi once again trying his long-handle to keep Sunrisers in the chase. Even though the in-form batter managed to score 11 off Shardul’s over, the last of the powerplay, still he should keep continuing even after the field is spread. And in the process to continue and the mounting run rate, Tripathi falls to Mitchell Marsh, Shardul taking the catch at deep square leg. After 7 overs, Sunrisers are 37/3, a run rate of 5.4 while the asking rate has already climbed to above 13 an over.

Tentative Williamson deserts a wobbling SRH ship

Williamson is tentative and not playing his game freely. May the pressure of runs and price of his wicket has not allowed him that freedom. Finally, the New Zealander’s misery has come to an end. With no footwork, Williamson tried to steer the ball to third man only to nick Nortje into the safe hands of Pant. A big wicket indeed, and the scream of the pacer says it all. The asking rate is climbing already. There have been one six and two fours in the four powerplay overs. Not the right start. After 4.2 overs, SRH are 24/2.

Another ex-player deals a blow to Hyderabad

Sadly it’s the ex-Hyderabad players who are returning to haunt them. Again, Khaleel Ahmed, who spent a few years at the franchise and tasted some success, has got the in-form Abhishek Sharma and ensured that chase did not take off. The left-arm pacer is using his height to the fullest to extract the extra lift with the new ball. Williamson, who was roasted for his slow batting while chasing 203 against Chennai, off to another slow start. After two overs, Hyderabad are 9/1.

At the start of the game, all eyes were on David Warner and how he would respond to the ill-treatment meted out to him in the last season by Sunrisers Hyderabad before being dumped. The former Hyderabad skipper did not show any mercy and showed what they are missing by scoring a brilliant unbeaten 92 to give Delhi Capitals a big total to defend in Match 50 of the Indian Premier League at Brabourne Stadium on Thursday.

The Australian left-hander found his timing and range right from the start and ensured that he stayed till the end to carry his team with useful partnerships with skipper Rishabh Pant and Rovman Powell. Warner must have felt disappointed at not getting his century, but he is a happy man and enjoyed the shots played by Powell, especially in the last over, to take Capitals to 207/3.

The West Indian, not wanting to be overshadowed by the Australian, matched Warner shot for shot and was severe on Umran Malik. The Hyderabad pacer kept increasing his pace to clock 157kmph, but the result was the same to finish with an unbeaten 67. The ball scurrying to the straight boundary.

Warner and Powell added 122 runs for the fourth wicket in 66 balls, a strikerate of 200. The pair had hit 9 sixes and 15 fours and skipper Pant also contributing three sixes to once again damage the reputation of Sunrisers bowlers.

Kane Williamson’s best laid plans to ambush his rivals with the bowling unit has once again failed with rival batters shredding it to pieces.

Sunrisers will depend a lot on the opening pair of Williamson and the in-form Abhishek Sharma and then Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran. But the task is big and difficult for Sunrisers to surpass

Powell and Warner having fun at the park

Powell has come good at a good time and has started enjoying his batting, hitting the cricket ball long and high and his only a couple of runs away from his half-century. Debutant Tyagi bowled a good over to contain the score and now the game rests on Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umran Malik. At 79 and 12 balls to go, will Warner get his century. Wait and watch. After 18 overs, Delhi are 174/3.

Stage set for some amazing fireworks

Four overs to go, it is make or break situation for Sunrisers. Two of Hyderabad bowlers, Umran Malim and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, have one over each, which means others need to fill the other two. Warner is threatening to take it higher while Powell is also finding his range. Stage set for some fireworks. After 16, Delhi are 147/3.

Sunrisers need wicket, else forget the match

The ball tracking shows how calculated assault Warner had employed. He defended the deliveries bowled on the stump while trying to get the maximum out of the freebies that were offered to him. The runs are coming in thick and fast with almost every over costing Sunrisers over 10 runs. At this time, the balance is heavily tilted in favour of Delhi. After 14 overs, Capitals are 135/3 with Warner on 72 and Rovman Powell 18.

Belligerent Warner keeps haunting Sunrisers bowlers

Delhi batters have been toying with the Sunrisers bowling and Williamson must be feeling the absence of Natarajan and Sundar in the middle overs. After 11.1 overs the Captials are 105/3 with Warner standing tall with an aggressive half-centuries, his 89th in Twenty20. With more 50 ball remaining, Delhi well could go past the 200-run mark, which will be a big test for the Sunrisers batting.

Pant’s brilliant cameo comes to an end

It seemed like Pant has come to the party after staying silent for a while. In this crucial match, the Delhi skipper must have felt the need to prove on big stage and picked debutant Shreyas Gopal to slaughter him. The left-hander, however, punishing the good balls to three sixes and a four was out off the last ball, a full toss outside the off stump was dragged back on to his stumps. Pant has done his bit, 27 from 16. After 9 overs, 85/3.

Warner a delight to fans and worry to Sunrisers

Left-handers are a treat to watch, though Warner is not known for silken grace and finesse in his shots, but the Australian is a treat to watch with his elegant punches off the front foot and plays the pull and cut off the backfoot with disdain, square of the wicket. He is in ominous touch and could prove the thorn in Sunrisers flesh. After 7 overs, Delhi are 51/2. With still plenty of batting to come, Pant and Warner need to play sensibly until over 13.

Warner shows who the master is

Williamson, in change from the past, unleashed the dreaded Umran Malik in the powerplay to break the budding, dangerous partnership of Warner and Marsh. The Australian pair are born and bred on quick wickets and they enjoyed the contest with the left-hander treating himself to two fours and a six. Despite Umran steaming in, Warner is not unruffled by the pace and has ample time to pick his spots. But unexpectedly the slower ball from Sean Abbott ended Marsh’s brief innings, getting out caught and bowled for 10. After 4.2 overs, Delhi are 37/2.

Bhuvneshwar strikes early for Sunrisers

Delhi Capitals have got a mixed start after losing opener Mandeep Singh in the first over to Bhuvnesh Kumar. However, with ball moving and pacers getting the bounce, Warner, who also got a couple of boundaries, and Mitchell Marsh are ensuring that they don’t lose more wickets at the start. After two overs Capitals are 11/1, which included Bhuvi’s maiden-wicket over.

Williamson gets lucky with the toss again

Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to field first, starting the match between Warner and his bowlers. Karthik Tyagi and Sean Abbott and Shreyas Gopal will be making their debuts for Hyderabad. Marco Jansen misses out along with Washington Sundar and Natarajan. On the other hand Delhi have made four changes Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel, Chetan Sakariya and Mustafizur Rahman are out while Mandeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Ripal Patel and Anrich Nortje are in.

Delhi start as favourites

Sunrisers, after twin reversals, need to regain the winning momentum in their push for the play-off spot, but will find it hard to overcome a versatile and varied Delhi Capitals in Match 50 at Brabourne Stadium on Thursday.

Skipper Kane Williamson has been relying heavily on the pace attack, led by the mercurial Umran Malik, to shore them up almost everytime. But in the last two games, when the bowlers had their off days, Sunrisers look very pedestrian and lacked the supremacy that was the hallmark of their wins.

Sunrisers' weaknesses

The Hyderabad outfit had a similar start to the season, when they lost the first two games before bouncing back with five wins. The second leg too began on a similar fashion, losing the eighth and ninth games. However, it will not be easy for them to reproduce the same form as the teams have now understood the strengths of Sunrisers, more importantly their weaknesses. The lessons learnt from the two defeats of Sunrisers are: they are not able to set big scores and the bowlers are not able to contain the run flow if they don’t get early wickets in the powerplay.

Chennai Super Kings had a pedestrian start to their innings during poweplay, but went past a score of 200 against Sunrisers. Compounding the Sunrisers problem is the lack of quality spinners. Washington Sundar, who could bowl four economical overs, has been suffering from one injury to the other and with wickets getting slower due to constant use, the pacers will have less impact on these low-bounce wickets.

Warner threat

Sunrisers will have a distinct disadvantage to start with against Delhi Capitals, where Hyderabad discard David Warner will be eager to prove a point to his former side. Hyderabad’s former player Rashid Khan made them pay while turning up for Gujarat Titans, they must be hoping not to encounter a similar fate against Warner.

Delhi captain Rishabh Pant has been getting starts, but is not able to convert them into a big score and is yet to play a match-winning knock. Delhi team wear a more rounded and settled look and have a batting line-up that almost runs till the end. Capitals start as favourites in today’s contest between Delhi’s batters and Hyderabad bowlers.

With both teams playing their 10th match in the Indian Premier League Season 15, and two points separating the two, today’s win will play a big role in going closer to the top four playoff spots.