Thanks to the timely contributions of Shreyas Iyer and captain Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals chased down the mediocre 135-run target with eight wickets to spare against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Anrich Nortje bagged the Man of the Match award on his first IPL game this year.
He marked his return with 2/12 in four overs.
Hyderabad are now on the verge of elimination after registering another loss at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
It seems like fortune hasn’t changed for them despite the venues and captain being changed.
Bizarre run continues for SRH
At first, SRH put David Warner in charge.
Kane Williamson took the reins from the Australian, but not much has changed for SRH in terms of match outcome.
They are still losing out on competitions without giving any fight.
Warner’s duck in three balls meant that the Hyderabad batters didn’t get the dream start that they were looking for.
Williamson too lamented on SRH’s ugly start of the powerplay. “Didn’t get off to the start we would have liked. Some good fighting with the bat at the end; some 25 or 30 short in the end,” he said in the post-match interview.
Pant-Iyer duo overcomes Hyderabad bowlers
Former captain and the incumbent skipper made sure they get their team over the line comfortably.
Shreyas Iyer (47*) made the batting on Sheikh Zayed track seem too easy while Rishabh Pant (35*) put on a masterclass as well.
Once Shikhar Dhawan departed after a well-made 42, the Iyer-Pant duo steadied Delhi’s ship.
Pant never let the Hyderabad bowlers settle.
He kept the bowling line in check with his unorthodox hits.
Delhi Capitals 139 for 2 (Iyer 47*, Dhawan 42, Pant 35*) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 134 for 9 (Samad 28, Rashid 22, Rabada 3-37, Nortje 2-12) by eight wickets.
Match preview – MI vs KKR
Defending IPL champions Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders will clash in a much anticipated match on Thursday night at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Probable big performers
Andre Russell
Russell Muscle is in dream form.
The Caribbean star was instrumental in Kolkata’s win over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday.
He has been consistently performing with the bat and ball.
Hence, ruling him out for big performances will be a blunder.
MI will have to weave a plan against the all-rounder to stop him from wreaking havoc tomorrow.
Kieron Pollard
Pollard has been a proven match-winner for the Indians.
He failed to make an impact in the last game, but the Caribbean all-rounder’s ability to hit sixes for fun makes him a threat for the KKR.
However, he seemed overwhelmed with the burden in the last clash against CSK where skipper Rohit Sharma was rested.
The skipper’s absence meant additional pressure on the senior star as the top-order did not turn up with a big performance.
Match prediction
Mumbai Indians have our vote for the winners tomorrow despite coming off a loss.
Sharma’s men have shown resilience over the last decade.
MI have bounced back whenever they have been cornered, something that helped them win the title last year.
While KKR seem to have gotten back to winning ways with exceptional bowling display, MI have the players who can turn the game around in a jiffy.
Hence, MI are likely to triumph on Thursday night.