IPL: Abhishek Sharma, Eshan Malinga star as SRH crush DC by 47 runs

HYDERABAD: Eshan Malinga produced a superb four-wicket haul to power Sunrisers Hyderabad to a convincing 47-run victory over Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) clash in Hyderabad.

DC showed brief resistance through the middle order, but never fully recovered from early setbacks, losing wickets at regular intervals under pressure. SRH dominated proceedings from the outset, combining a powerful batting display with disciplined bowling to keep Delhi on the back foot throughout the chase.

Chasing a massive total of 242, Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul opened the innings for DC. Both the opening batters started steadily, scoring 8 runs in the first over. Rahul, in the following over, opened up his arms and slammed a four and six each off Nitish Reddy to get DC’s innings going.

In the third over, Dilshan Madushanka got the better of Nissanka, removing him for 8, bringing Nitish Rana to the crease. Rana counterattacked Reddy in the next over, striking 16 runs as Delhi Capitals raced to 45/1 after four overs. Rahul also continued to attack SRH bowlers as he slammed Eshan Malinga for a massive six in the 5th over.

𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁!

Abhishek Sharma is adjudged the Player of the Match for his breathtaking innings in front of a roaring Hyderabad crowd

Scorecard https://t.co/VgUjXDlrDh #TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #SRHvDC | @SunRisers | @OfficialAbhi04 pic.twitter.com/gUHZSFwWpC

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2026

Young pacer Sakib Hussain delivered an excellent final over of the powerplay, conceding just five runs and bowling four dot balls in the sixth over. He was well supported by Dilshan Madushanka, who followed it up with another disciplined over, giving away only eight runs in the seventh.

Rana continued the assault in the next over, taking on Shivang Kumar and plundering 19 runs, including two towering sixes and a boundary off the young left-arm wrist spinner. Rana brought up his first fifty of the season in style during the 10th over, reaching the milestone at a brisk pace.

In the same over, Sakib Hussain struck back by dismissing KL Rahul for 37 off 23 balls, bringing Sameer Rizvi to the crease. Malinga delivered a double blow in the following over, dismissing Nitish Rana for 57 before removing David Miller for a golden duck.

Rizvi continued his attack on the SRH bowler to keep his side alive in the chase, smashing a six off Shivang Kumar in the 12th over. Stubbs provided solid support to Sameer Rizvi before being dismissed by Malinga in the 16th over for 27, bringing Ashutosh Sharma to the crease.

After a short stay at the crease, Malinga struck again, removing Ashutosh Sharma for 14. Malinga finished his spell with 4/32. Harsh Dubey, in the final over, took three wickets to hand over Sunrisers Hyderabad a win by 47 runs.

Earlier in the match, Abhishek Sharma’s explosive second IPL century, supported by a quick-fire cameo from Heinrich Klaasen, powered SRH to a commanding 242/2. Sharma remained unbeaten on 135, his second-highest score in the tournament, hammering 10 towering sixes and carrying his bat through a dominant innings.

While Klaasen played a vital and fiery hand, smashing 37 off just 13 balls, including 3 sixes and fours each. After being put in to bat, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head gave Sunrisers Hyderabad a flying start, scoring nine runs in the opening over.

Nitish Rana responded with a tight second over, conceding just six runs, but the momentum quickly shifted back as both openers struck a boundary each off Mukesh Kumar in the next over. Lungi Ngidi came into the attack in the fourth over but was taken for 10 runs. The pressure mounted in the following over when Sharma and Head took on the charge against Rana, scoring 20 runs to bring up a brisk 50-run opening partnership.

Sharma capped off an impressive power play by smashing a six on the final ball, guiding SRH to a commanding 67 without loss at the end of the field restrictions. DC skipper Axar Patel, featuring in his 100th match for the franchise, delivered a tight over immediately after the powerplay, conceding just seven runs. He was well supported by Kuldeep Yadav, who followed up with another disciplined over, giving away only eight runs.

In Patel’s second over, Sharma and Head slammed him for a six each before the DC skipper got the better of Head for 37, bringing SRH skipper Ishan Kishan to the crease. In the same over, Sharma brought up his fifty in 25 balls. This marked the slowest fifty for Abhishek Sharma’s six IPL 50s in Hyderabad.

Sharma also completed 2000 IPL runs for SRH, joining David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson in the elite list. Sharma and Kishan launched an attack on Yadav as the duo slammed 22 runs in the 11th over. Taking on the DC’s bowlers, Sharma, in the 15th over, brought up his second IPL hundred.

In the same over, SRH’s skipper Kishan got run out for 25; however, Sharma thumped Rana in the 15th over for 23 runs to take SRH’s total to 183-2. Sharma blazed his way to his second IPL century in 47 balls. It is the 25-year-old’s ninth T20 century overall, thus equalling the record held by Virat Kohli for most centuries by an Indian in men’s T20S.

This also marked the second instance of Abhishek Sharma smashing 10 sixes in an IPL innings, making him only the second batter to achieve the feat multiple times after Chris Gayle, who has done it four times. Sunrisers Hyderabad surged past the 200-run mark by the end of the 17th over, with Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen at the crease.

Klaasen then continued the onslaught, smashing two sixes off Lungi Ngidi in the 18th over to add another 14 runs to SRH’s total. Klaasen also became the third fastest to 100 sixes in IPL in terms of innings (52) behind Gayle (37) and Andre Russell (47), and seventh fastest in terms of balls faced (1072 balls).

Natarajan bowled an outstanding 19th over, conceding just 6 runs. SRH finished their innings on 242-2, with Klaasen and Sharma collecting 20 runs in the final over. (ANI)