Anrich Nortje bowls rapidly as he takes 2-12 from four overs to limit rock-bottom Sunrisers to 134-9; fit-again Shreyas Iyer then scores an unbeaten 47 and match-winning six as Capitals ease home with 13 balls to spare; Delhi move back above Chennai Super Kings at top of table
Thursday 23 September 2021 12:07, UK
Anrich Nortje and Shreyas Iyer starred in their first IPL games of the season as Delhi Capitals returned to the top of the table with an eight-wicket win over rock-bottom and Covid-affected Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Nortje (2-12) bowled a searing four-over spell, which, according to the IPL's official website, featured the eight fastest deliveries seen this season, as Sunrisers limped to 134-9 - David Warner (0) one of Nortje's victims.
Nortje's fellow South African Kagiso Rabada (3-37) and India spinner Axar Patel (2-21) also fired with the ball for Delhi before their batsmen knocked off the target with 13 balls to spare, with Shreyas - back from a dislocated shoulder - scoring 47 not out from 41 balls and the match-sealing six.
Shikhar Dhawan (42), the leading run-scorer in the tournament, passed 400 runs for the sixth successive season, while Rishabh Pant - who retained the captaincy despite Shreyas' return - struck 35 not out from 21 balls as both batsmen shared stands in excess of fifty with Iyer.
Delhi's win was their seventh in nine games and moved them above Chennai Super Kings, albeit having played one match more.
Sunrisers, who have now lost seven of their eight fixtures, were without seamer T Natarajan after he tested positive for coronavirus, while all-rounder Vijay Shankar was also absent as one of six members of the Hyderabad franchise to be deemed as close contacts.
Delhi's success was their second against Sunrisers this season, with Pant's team having pipped their opponents after a Super Over in April before the tournament was suspended due to a rising number of Covid cases.
Warner suffered defeat on his return to the Sunrisers side with the Australian - who had been sacked as captain and dropped from the team amid the franchise's horror start to the campaign - failing to score in his first innings since making 57 against Chennai in April.
Warner - taking the spot that had opened up following the withdrawal of England's Jonny Bairstow - fell to Nortje in the first over after ballooning to point off a leading edge, while Nortje also had Kedar Jadhav (3) out lbw on a night on which he reached 94mph on the speed gun.
Sunrisers skipper Kane Williamson (18) was caught in the deep off Axar having earlier benefited from a couple of dropped catches, with Wriddhiman Saha (18) dismissed by Rabada shortly after passing 2,000 IPL runs with a six over the leg-side off the same bowler.
Abdul Samad (28) and Rashid Khan (22), who batted at No 6 and No 8 respectively, were the only Sunrisers players to make it into the twenties after Williamson had elected to bat.
Williamson took an excellent sliding catch in the Delhi chase to remove Prithvi Shaw (11), while Dhawan's pursuit of a fourth fifty of the season ended when he swept Rashid to deep square with 63 runs required.
Sunrisers had a smidgeon of hope when Dhawan was dismissed but it was extinguished by former Delhi skipper Shreyas and current captain Pant as Williamson's side's horrid campaign continued.
Watch the remainder of the IPL live on Sky Sports. The competition continues on Thursday with defending champions Mumbai Indians up against Eoin Morgan's Kolkata Knight Riders, live from 2.50pm on Sky Sports Mix (channel 416).
