SRH knocked out of play-off race after washout against DC

SRH knocked out of play-off race after washout against DC

HYDERABAD [Maha Media]: Sunrisers Hyderabad were eliminated from the play-offs race after their Indian Premier League fixture against Delhi Capitals was called off due to heavy rain following the first innings here on Monday.

Pat Cummins-led SRH pace attack ran through the DC batting line-up to limit the visitors to 133/7 before rain dashed the slim hopes of the home team. Both teams shared a point each for the abandoned game.

With 13 points from 11 games, DC remain in contention for a top-four spot.

Earlier, Delhi recovered from a disastrous start to post a modest 133 for 7 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. The innings was resurrected by a spirited fightback from Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma after the top order was blown away by a sensational opening burst from SRH skipper Pat Cummins.

Cummins struck with his first ball, removing Karun Nair for a golden duck, and followed it up with the wickets of Faf du Plessis (3) and Abishek Porel (8), both caught behind by Ishan Kishan, reducing Delhi to 15 for 3 by the fifth over.

The slide continued as Axar Patel (6) and KL Rahul (10) fell in quick succession, trying to force the pace, as Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat joined the wickets column. At 29 for 5 in the eighth over, DC were in disarray.

Stubbs then anchored the innings with an unbeaten 41 off 26 balls, adding 40 runs for the sixth wicket with Vipraj Nigam (18) before a mix-up led to Nigam’s run-out. Ashutosh Sharma injected urgency into the innings with a counter-attacking 41 off 26 deliveries, featuring three sixes and two boundaries, including a pair of towering hits off Zeeshan Ansari.

Ashutosh fell in the penultimate over, mistiming a pull off Eshan Malinga to deep mid-wicket, but Stubbs finished the innings with a boundary off the final ball to lift Delhi to a total that had once looked well beyond reach.

Cummins returned outstanding figures of 3 for 19 from his four overs. Unadkat (1/13), Harshal Patel (1/36), and Malinga (1/28) provided support, while Ansari bowled a tight spell despite going wicketless.

Delhi’s total was built on a late surge, with 71 runs coming off the last eight overs on what appeared to be a slow, two-paced surface. The innings included just 10 fours and four sixes, underlining the struggle against a disciplined SRH attack.

SRH were set a target of 134 for victory, but rain intervened during the innings break and eventually forced an abandonment. With this result, Sunrisers bow out of the playoff race, while Delhi keep slim hopes alive, albeit in a mathematically challenging scenario.
 

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