source : BCCI
Delhi Capitals (DC) continued their winning streak in IPL 2025 with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Visakhapatnam. Mitchell Starc’s career-best T20 bowling performance dismantled SRH’s batting lineup, limiting them to 163 runs. Despite Aniket Verma’s brilliant 74 off 41 balls, SRH fell short as DC chased down the target comfortably in just 16 overs. Faf du Plessis led the charge with a crucial half-century, supported by a strong opening stand with Jake Fraser-McGurk. Even Zeeshan Ansari’s three-wicket haul couldn’t derail DC’s chase as Abishek Porel and Tristan Stubbs finished the job with ease.
Mitchell Starc proved to be the game-changer for DC, taking 5 for 35 and rattling SRH’s top order early on. The much-anticipated contest between Starc and Travis Head saw the latter briefly counterattack with consecutive boundaries before falling to Starc’s pace. Axar Patel’s tactical decision to persist with Starc paid off as SRH crumbled to 37 for 4 within the first five overs. Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, and Nitish Reddy all fell cheaply, leaving SRH in a precarious position.
SRH’s innings saw a brief resurgence thanks to Aniket Verma and Heinrich Klaasen. The duo stitched together a quickfire 77-run partnership, lifting their side from a dire situation. Aniket showcased his ability to take on world-class spinners, launching Axar Patel for multiple sixes. Klaasen provided valuable support but fell to a spectacular catch by Vipraj Nigam. With Kuldeep Yadav tightening the noose in the middle overs, SRH’s lower order collapsed, leaving them eight deliveries unused as DC bowlers kept control.
Chasing 164, DC’s openers made the target look modest. Du Plessis, showing his class, notched up a quick 50 off 26 balls, dominating the powerplay. Fraser-McGurk took some time to settle but played a crucial supporting role in their 81-run stand. Du Plessis punished every loose delivery, particularly taking apart Abhishek Sharma and Pat Cummins. His departure to Ansari brought a brief moment of hope for SRH, but DC remained unshaken in their approach.
Zeeshan Ansari’s remarkable return to T20 cricket after six years saw him claim three wickets, briefly unsettling DC. He removed du Plessis and Fraser-McGurk in quick succession, followed by KL Rahul, who had started explosively. However, any hopes of a dramatic turnaround were quickly dashed as Porel and Stubbs closed out the chase in style, putting together 51 runs off just 28 balls. Their steady partnership ensured that DC reached the target with ease, handing SRH their second consecutive defeat in IPL 2025.
