Well, folks, if you thought IPL 2025 was going to ease us into the season gently, Match 10 between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 30 at Vizag was a wake-up call! Delhi Capitals didn’t just win—they absolutely dismantled SRH by 7 wickets with a whopping 24 balls to spare. This wasn’t a contest; it was a statement. Let’s break down how it all unfolded under the scorching afternoon sun at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
Toss and the Big Decision
The match kicked off at 3:30 PM IST with SRH skipper Pat Cummins calling it right at the toss and opting to bat first. You could see the logic—bat during the heat, put up a big score, and let the bowlers defend it as the evening cooled down, maybe with a bit of swing on offer. It’s a strategy SRH leaned on heavily last season, and with their explosive batting lineup featuring Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, it seemed like a solid plan. DC captain Axar Patel later admitted he’d have batted first too, but he wasn’t sweating it. Turns out, he didn’t need to.
SRH’s Nightmare Start
SRH’s innings got off to a horror show, and the man wielding the wrecking ball was none other than Mitchell Starc. The Aussie pace ace, now donning DC colors, was on fire from ball one. Travis Head, who’s been tearing bowlers apart this season (think 67 off 31 vs RR and 47 off 28 vs LSG), managed just 8 runs off 5 balls before Starc cleaned him up. Abhishek Sharma followed soon after, run out for 5 in a moment of pure chaos—lazily ambling across, expecting a miss at the stumps, only for DC’s Vipraj Nigam to nail a direct hit. Ishan Kishan slashed one to third man for 2, and suddenly SRH were 20/3.
By the end of the powerplay, they were reeling at 37/4, with Nitish Kumar Reddy also back in the hut. Starc had 3 wickets in his pocket, and SRH’s much-hyped powerplay fireworks? Extinguished. DC’s fielding was electric too—sharp catches, pinpoint throws—it was like they’d turned Vizag into a fortress.
Aniket Verma’s Lone Fight
Enter Aniket Verma, the uncapped 23-year-old who decided he wasn’t going down without a fight. Coming in at No. 6 with SRH in tatters, Verma unleashed a counter-attack for the ages—74 off 41 balls, studded with 5 fours and 6 sixes. He took on Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, everyone, with fearless strokeplay. Heinrich Klaasen chipped in with a brisk 32 off 19, and for a moment, their 60-odd-run stand gave SRH fans a flicker of hope. But Kuldeep struck, dismissing Klaasen, and the tail couldn’t hang around. Starc returned to mop up Harshal Patel and Wiaan Mulder in the 19th over, finishing with a maiden T20 five-fer—5/35. SRH were bowled out for 163 in 18.4 overs. Decent, but on a batting paradise like Vizag? Nowhere near enough.
DC’s Chase: Faf Takes Charge
Chasing 164, DC opened with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Faf du Plessis, and they meant business. Mohammed Shami kept it tight early, conceding just 2 runs in the first over, but the floodgates opened soon after. Fraser-McGurk lofted Abhishek Sharma for a six in the second over, signaling intent. Then Faf took over—smashing Shami for a six and two fours in the third over, piling on 15 runs. Pat Cummins copped it too, leaking 13 in his first over as both openers found the boundary with ease. By the powerplay’s end, DC were 52/0, cruising.
Faf was in vintage form, racing to a 26-ball fifty with classical shots and a touch of aggression. Fraser-McGurk fell for 28 off 20 to debutant leggie Zeeshan Ansari, who bowled a gem to get a leading edge caught by Mulder at long-on. But Faf kept going until Ansari struck again, ending his knock at 50 with another smart catch by Mulder. KL Rahul, making his DC debut after missing the opener, walked in and played a cameo—23 off 14—before Ansari had him too, leaving DC at 115/3 in 11.2 overs.
Abishek Porel Seals It
With 49 needed off 52 balls, Abishek Porel (34* off 18) and Tristan Stubbs (21* off 17) took the reins. Porel finished it in style, smashing a six over square leg off Harshal Patel in the 16th over to seal the deal—164/3, game over, 4 overs left. SRH’s bowlers—Shami, Cummins, Ansari—tried, but DC were just too good. Ansari’s 3/33 on debut was a silver lining for SRH, but it couldn’t mask the collapse earlier.
Key Moments and Takeaways
- Starc’s Spell: That 5/35 was the game-changer. He’s had Head’s number forever (8 runs, 5 dismissals in 29 balls across formats), and yesterday was no different. First T20 five-wicket haul? Massive.
- Faf’s Fifty: At 40, Faf du Plessis showed he’s still got it—calm, classy, and ruthless. 50 off 26 set the tone.
- SRH’s Batting Woes: Two sub-par totals in three games now. The high-risk approach flopped hard here—37/4 in the powerplay is unforgivable.
- DC’s All-Round Game: Bowling, batting, fielding—DC clicked everywhere. Not even using their Impact Player and still winning with ease? That’s dominance.
Player of the Match
Mitchell Starc, hands down. His early burst broke SRH’s back, and those late strikes ensured they didn’t limp to a defendable total. “A good day for me and the side,” he said post-match, grinning about bowlers having “no ego left” in T20s these days.
What’s Next?
DC are soaring—two wins from two in Vizag, now second on the table. They’ve got a five-day break before facing Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on April 5. SRH, meanwhile, are licking their wounds after back-to-back losses. They’ve got till April 3 to regroup before taking on defending champs Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. Time to rethink that “bat-first-and-blast” blueprint, Cummins!
Final Thoughts
This was DC flexing their muscles—Starc’s pace, Faf’s experience, and a team effort that left SRH shell-shocked. Vizag’s been kind to Delhi, but can they carry this form on the road? For SRH, it’s back to the drawing board. Aniket Verma’s knock was a highlight, but they’ll need more than solo heroics to turn this season around. What did you think of the game? Drop your thoughts below—let’s chat cricket!
