On a flat Uppal surface, Abhishek tore through the Delhi bowling attack, hitting 10 sixes and as many boundaries, contributing to Sunrisers’ massive total of 242 for 2.
The chase never seemed feasible as Sri Lankan Eshan Malinga (4/32 in 4 overs) and Sakib Hussain (1/29 in 4 overs) triggered a middle-order collapse, leaving DC at 107 for 4 after a promising start at 107 for 1. They never managed to recover from that point.
Ultimately, Axar Patel’s side could only muster 195 for 9, resulting in a comprehensive defeat that saw SRH solidify their position in the points table, climbing to third place.
The match will be remembered for the significant tactical blunders made by the DC ‘Brains Trust’, including Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, head coach Hemang Badani, and captain Axar.
It was hard to fathom why part-time off-spinner Nitish Rana (0/55 in 4 overs) was given his full quota, especially considering that the top three of SRH were all left-handed batsmen.
Equally puzzling was the decision to bowl frontline spinners Axar (1/23 in 2 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (0/30 in 2 overs) for just half their overs while trying to minimize the damage from Abhishek’s onslaught.
The three pacers—Mukesh Kumar (0/53), Lungi Ngidi (0/44), and T Natarajan (0/40)—were also rendered ineffective.
Meanwhile, SRH’s pace attack, led by Malinga and Hussain, skillfully mixed pace-on and pace-off deliveries, claiming wickets regularly, apart from Rana’s unimpressive half-century compared to Abhishek’s monumental innings.
Even with a somewhat off-form Travis Head (37 off 26 balls), Abhishek forged a 97-run opening partnership. Then, skipper Ishan Kishan (25 off 13 balls) joined in, forming a rapid 79-run partnership for the second wicket in just 5.5 overs, setting the stage for a final assault.
Towards the end, Abhishek appeared slightly fatigued as his strike rate dipped just below 200, but Heinrich Klaasen ignited the crowd with a brisk 37 not out off 13 balls.
Delhi Capitals’ strategy of starting with an off-spinner, particularly a mediocre part-timer like Rana, backfired spectacularly as he bowled four overs, getting hammered for six sixes—all off left-handed batters.
The DC coaching staff, led by Venugopal and Badani, has not been at their tactical best throughout the tournament, and this match was a prime example.
Rana began with a tidy first over but then conceded 20 runs in his second, and following a strategic timeout, he was given two more overs, during which one cost 23 runs.
Even captain Axar will need to justify why, as a frontline spinner, he didn’t complete his full quota, and why Kuldeep was not utilized after one costly over (22 runs), yet someone like Rana was persisted with.
Overall, the two and a half spinners (Rana being the half) used by DC went for 108 runs in their combined eight overs.
The Powerplay yielded 67 runs, but where DC completely faltered was in the middle overs between 7 to 15, during which an unacceptable 116 runs were scored.
The hallmark of Abhishek’s innings was his ability to adjust the angle of his bat according to the bowlers—particularly Ngidi, whom he played late and in front. It felt as if Abhishek was eager to showcase his range-hitting skills, as most of his sixes were struck in front of the wicket.
This century was slightly slower than his usual pace, yet Abhishek completed his hundred in 47 balls, maintaining a strike rate above 200. He didn’t stop there, leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to a formidable score that made chasing seem improbable given DC’s batting depth.
