Good morning. You know it’s IPL season when SRH puts up a 200-plus chase-proof total at Hyderabad—and last night delivered exactly that. In a high-scoring night in the Telugu capital, the hosts piled on 242/2 and then kept DC from gaining momentum.
Quick facts
- SRH scored 242/2 against DC at Hyderabad.
- Abhishek Sharma smashed his second IPL century.
- SRH recorded their third straight home win.
- Ehshan Malinga took 4/32.
- Will Jacks joined MI’s squad after linking up with the team.
- Nitish Rana was brought in for Auqib Nabi and bowled four overs.
- Harsh Dubey finished with 3/12 by taking three wickets in the final over.
- DC’s bowlers had an economy rate of 10 or greater.
- KL Rahul missed a second run-out chance that ultimately turned into a century.
- Today: LSG vs RR at night, with a watch on how the Ekana pitch behaves.
Last night in five lines: Abhishek Sharma posted his second IPL century as SRH reached 242/2, and DC never really got on top of the chase. It was SRH’s third successive win at home, a run built on ruthless finishing. Ehshan Malinga’s spell—4/32—stood out, with his variety causing constant disruption. Meanwhile, Will Jacks has finally arrived in India and has linked up with MI’s squad.
Oh, that happened: Nitish Rana was added to the XI in place of Auqib Nabi. He was then asked to open the bowling—yes, open—with SRH’s captaincy leaning into a matchup approach: Rana’s part-time off-spin against a DC top order heavy on left-handers. The early signs looked promising, as his first over cost only six runs. After that, though, the plan flipped sharply—his next three overs went for 49, turning control back toward SRH.
Pulse Awards
The standout “don’t-mind-if-I-do” moment went to Harsh Dubey, who snapped up three wickets in the last over to end with figures of 3/12. The “economic-fallout” tag was handed to DC’s bowlers collectively, given their economy rate of 10 or higher. The “ghastly-foreboding” award went to KL Rahul, after a second missed run-out chance somehow snowballed into a century—Samson had done something similar earlier, and now Abhishek took the same route. Finally, the “faithfully-committed” award belonged to Abhishek Sharma for sticking to his signature celebration.
Talking Point: Amid the batting fireworks in Hyderabad, SRH’s momentum at home has been anchored by Ehshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain. Their work in the last three straight home wins has been central: reverse swing from Malinga and variations from Sakib consistently shifted pressure onto DC, leaving the visitors in a strong position at the halfway stage but not quite in control of the game. Over those matches, the pair have been more reliable than the rest of SRH’s pace options, reflected in their economy rates. After yet another influential showing, SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron highlighted how Sakib and Malinga “almost remove the surface from the equation” through their skills, suggesting they may be reshaping what effective T20 bowling looks like.
The Chatter: Axar Patel spoke about the turning points that slipped away—specifically the run-out and a catch that were missed, noting that if those chances had been taken, SRH’s total might have been more containable while Abhishek was on 49 and again when he reached 86. Abhishek Sharma, after completing his second IPL hundred, also made it clear how much he values the ground—saying his first hundred came there too. Ehshan Malinga, when asked whether he works with Lasith Malinga, simply replied “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Always.”
Stat Snack: Heinrich Klaasen moved into elite territory as he became the third-fastest batter (by innings) to reach 100 IPL sixes. The only players ahead of him in that marker are Chris Gayle and Andre Russell.
Gossip Column: A few Hyderabad hits apparently have the International Space Station’s attention. The rumour doing the rounds is that space agencies aren’t thrilled with the idea of “low orbit” getting threatened, and that they have nudged the BCCI to consider making surfaces slightly less friendly for batters.
Today’s watchlist
LSG and RR meet tonight, both sides looking to snap a losing run. The match is at the Ekana Stadium, where the pitch has leaned toward lower totals so far. It will be worth watching whether the surface behaves differently after Rishabh Pant’s animated conversation with the groundstaff.
Reckless prediction for today: LSG will shuffle their batting order again.
