Hyderabad, May 5: Pat Cummins was at his menacing best on Tuesday as he led a clinical display by the Sunrisers Hyderabad pace attack to dismantle Delhi Capitals for a modest 133/7 in Match 56 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here.

The SRH skipper made early inroads and set the tone with a fiery spell that saw him remove Karun Nair, Faf du Plessis, and Abhishek Porel in a devastating opening burst that left DC reeling in the Powerplay.

Opting to bowl first, Cummins struck with the very first delivery of the match, removing Karun Nair with a classic Test match-style delivery – back of a length in the corridor, a hint of away seam, and extra bounce. Nair fished at it tentatively, only to edge it behind to Ishan Kishan, who was donning the gloves in place of Heinrich Klaasen.

There was more joy in Cummins' next over as he cleverly adjusted his length after spotting Faf du Plessis advancing down the track, forcing a bottom edge that Kishan gladly accepted. The Capitals were 6/2 in 2.1 overs.

The SRH skipper was relentless with his lines and used the pitch's extra bounce and variable pace to great effect. In his third over, Cummins got Abishek Porel with a seemingly innocuous delivery on the pads, but the ball stopped on the surface, ballooning a leading edge off an attempted flick that Kishan collected after sprinting towards square-leg – his third catch of the evening.

Cummins wasn’t done yet. Though he didn’t claim the wicket, his presence loomed large as Harshal Patel induced a false stroke from Axar Patel with a slower ball that stuck in the surface. Cummins, stationed at mid-off, backpedalled and completed a stunning one-handed catch to further dent Delhi's innings.

SRH’s all-round dominance in the field continued when Unadkat, bowling around the wicket, got one to straighten just enough to take Rahul Tewatia's thick edge, and Kishan completed his fourth catch, marking the first time in IPL history that an entire top four was dismissed caught by the wicketkeeper.

At 29 for 5 in the eighth over, DC were in disarray. Tristan Stubbs and debutant Vipraj Nigam attempted a recovery but never looked settled.

The duo added 33 runs, but their stand was punctuated with nervy moments, including a farcical run-out that saw both batters at the keeper's end. Vipraj was the unfortunate one to go, walking out to allow Stubbs to continue.

Ashutosh Sharma, brought in as an Impact Player for Porel, injected some life into the innings with a spirited knock. Showing intent from the outset, he lofted Zeeshan Ansari for two sixes straight down the ground and then punished Harshal Patel and Eshan Malinga with a flurry of boundaries to take his score to 41 off 28 balls. Stubbs tried to find the fence but struggled with timing on a tricky surface.

Despite their early collapse, DC managed to breach the 130-run mark, finishing at 133 for 7 in 20 overs. It was largely due to Ashutosh’s counter-attacking knock that gave the innings a respectable finish. But it was Pat Cummins who deservedly took the spotlight. His new-ball burst, combined with excellent catching and leadership in the field, meant SRH now had a relatively comfortable chase ahead of them on a pitch that clearly had some juice for the pacers.

Brief scores:

Delhi Capitals 133/7 in 20 overs (Ashutosh Sharma 41, Tristan Stubbs 41; Pat Cummins 3-19, Jaydev Unadkat 1-13) against Sunrisers Hyderabad

--IANS

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