Head, Abhishek propel Sunrisers Hyd to victory over Delhi Capitals

New Delhi: Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma showcased a masterful display of batting, forging a sensational century partnership of 131 runs to guide Sunrisers Hyderabad to a commanding 67-run victory over Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Saturday.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Sunrisers Hyderabad got off to a flying start, thanks to the explosive batting of Head and Abhishek. Head was in imperious form, smashing 89 runs off just 32 balls, while Abhishek played a crucial supporting role with a rapid 46 off 12 balls.

Their partnership laid the foundation for Hyderabad’s imposing total of 266/7 in their allotted 20 overs, setting a daunting target for Delhi Capitals to chase.

In response, Delhi Capitals struggled to keep up with the required run rate and lost wickets at regular intervals. Despite valiant efforts from Jake Fraser-McGurk, who scored a quickfire 65 off 18 balls, and Abhishek Porel’s 42 off 30 balls, Delhi Capitals fell short and were bowled out for 199 runs in 19.1 overs.

Thangarasu Natarajan was the star performer with the ball for Sunrisers Hyderabad, delivering a match-winning spell to claim four wickets for just 19 runs. Mayank Markandey also made vital contributions with two wickets for 26 runs.

With this comprehensive win, Sunrisers Hyderabad climbed to the second position in the IPL points table, while Delhi Capitals slipped to seventh, underscoring the contrasting fortunes of the two teams in this season’s IPL.

Brief Scorecard

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 266/7 in 20 overs (Travis Head 89, Abhishek Sharma 46, Kuldeep Yadav 4/55)

Delhi Capitals: 199 all out in 19.1 overs (Jake Fraser-McGurk 65, Abhishek Porel 42, Thangarasu Natarajan 4/19)

Man of the Match: Thangarasu Natarajan (Sunrisers Hyderabad).

UNI