All-round Hyderabad outclass Delhi by 88 runs, keep Play-off hopes alive

Wriddhiman Saha stamped his class with a 45-ball 87 before Rashid Khan dished out a clinical bowling performance as Hyderab kept mselves alive in race for IPL play-offs with a whopping 88-run win over Delhi on Tuesday.

Asked to bat first, splendid kcks by Saha (87), skipper David Warner (66) and Manish Pandey (44) powered Hyderab to 219 for two. Star spinner Rashid n led a fine bowling display to end with impressive figures of 4-0-7-3, his best in this season. 

Afghan bowled an astonishing 17 dot balls in his quota of four overs, helping his side bowl out Delhi for 131 in 19 overs. Hyderab (10 points) have w moved up to sixth from seventh position with this win, while Delhi, who slumped to ir third consecutive loss, were pushed down to third spot with 14 points. Chasing a stiff target, it was a rar ordinary performance by Delhi batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan (0) and Marcus Stoinis (5), who was elevated to number 3, perished in first two overs. 

Ajinkya Rahane (26) and Shimron Heytmyer (16) quickly started recovery work, stitching a 40 run stand, highest for ir team. duo targeted Jason Holder, collecting 22 runs in sixth over as Delhi reached 54 for two at end of Powerplay overs.  However, Rashid dealt Delhi with twin blows, getting rid of both Rahane and Hetmyer in seventh over. Skipper Shreyas Iyer (7) was next to depart as wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.

Seven of Delhi's batsmen failed to reach double digits with Rishabh Pant (36) being top scorer. While Rashid was pick of bowlers for Hyderab, Sandeep Sharma (2/27) and T Natarajan (2/26) picked two wickets apiece. Vijay Shankar(1/11), Shahbaz Neem (1/8), Holder (1/46) took a wicket each.

Earlier, both openers Warner, who looked in good nick, and Saha, playing his second game of season, went after Delhi bowlers from word go. Fully capitalising on field restrictions, duo smashed boundaries (11 fours and two sixes) every over to collect 77-runs in first six overs, best Powerplay figures of season. In sixth over, Warner smashed tournament's leing wicket-taker Kagiso Raba (0/54) for four boundaries and a six, helping Sunrisers reach 100 runs in just 8.4 overs.

Till Warner was taking on bowlers, Saha played second fiddle to perfection.  Australian celebrated his 34th birthday with a half-century off just 25 balls, hitting two sixes and eight fours at Dubai International Stium. To Delhi's relief Ravichandran Ashwin (1/35) broke 107-run opening stand in 10th over as he dismissed danger man Warner, who was caught at extra cover by Axar Patel. With Warner gone, Saha hammered Delhi bowlers all around park. wicketkeeper batsman reached his fifty in style with a boundary. He plundered 12 fours and two sixes before pacer Anrich rtje (1/37) dismissed him in 15th over. Pandey and Kane Williamson (11 t out) continued assault on a listless Delhi bowling unit.

(Photo Credit: Twitter/SunRisers)