Delhi Capitals (DC) new acquisition Mitchell Starc dismantled Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) batting lineup in their second encounter of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Mitchell Starc was nearly unplayable as he dismissed Travis Head.
Choosing to bat, SRH struggled to build a solid foundation as Abhishek Sharma fell in the first over due to a poor call by Travis Head for a single. SRH collapsed to 163 in 18.4 overs, despite the outstanding 74 off 41 balls by the little-known Aniket Verma and Heinrich Klaasen’s quickfire 32 off 19. Kuldeep Yadav claimed 3 for 22.
Delhi Capitals Dominate as Du Plessis, McGurk Seal Comfortable Chase
In response, the Axar Patel-led Delhi Capitals chased down the target in just 16 overs, powered by a fiery start from vice-captain Faf du Plessis (50 off 27) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (38 off 32). Du Plessis forged an 81-run opening stand with Fraser-McGurk as Delhi comfortably overhauled Hyderabad’s modest total of 163, securing their second consecutive victory.
Once Delhi’s openers got off to a flying start, the outcome was never in doubt, though their methods differed. Du Plessis rolled back the years with some exquisite strokes, including a stunning straight six off Cummins. Meanwhile, McGurk struggled with his timing, hindered by his exaggerated backlift and his eagerness to clear the ropes.
But du Plessis was ready to shoulder the responsibility and reached his half-century in just 26 deliveries. In doing so, he became only the third batter aged 40 or above to score a fifty in the Indian Premier League, following in the footsteps of Adam Gilchrist and Chris Gayle. However, the partnership was eventually broken when debutant leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari got the prized wicket of du Plessis, who fell to a spectacular running catch by Wiaan Mulder—adding to the evening’s collection of stunning grabs.
Ansari, a former member of India’s U19 World Cup squad that featured Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, and Washington Sundar, soon struck again, dismissing both McGurk and KL Rahul in quick succession to leave Delhi Capitals at 115/3 in the 12th over. However, his efforts weren’t enough to inject any real suspense into the chase.
IPL 2025 Points Table: After SRH vs DC
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