IPL 2025: Old is bold for Delhi Capitals

Visakhapatnam: Mitchell Starc returned to torment the Sunrisers Hyderabad, albeit in different colours. Representing eventual champions Kolkata Knight Riders last season, the lanky left-arm pacer wrecked SRH in the final (2/14) and the Qualifier 1 (3/34).
On a Sunday afternoon at the picturesque port city, the southpaw came to haunt the Sunrisers again. He broke the back of the famed big-hitting SRH batting order, accounting for Travis Head (22), Ishan Kishan (2), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (0), en route to an impressive 5/35 to power hosts Delhi Capitals to a seven-wicket win. Kuldeep Yadav stifled the batters in the middle with 3/22 as the Axar Patel-led side left the City of Destiny with two wins in two games.
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If not for Aniket Verma’s fighting 41-ball 74-run knock (5x4, 6x6), Sunrisers would have folded up for a much lower total. Verma, dropped on 6, added 77 runs for the fifth wicket with Heinrich Klaasen as SRH were all out for 163 in 18.4 overs.
Chasing the total, Faf du Plessis smashed 50 off 27 balls (3x3, 3x6) and added 81 runs with Jake Fraser-McGurk (38 off 32; 4x4, 2x6) to lay the foundation for the victory. However, both departed in the same over of Zeeshan Ali. After du Plessis holed out at long-on, McGurk, dropped on 9 and 14, hit two boundaries and a six before giving a return catch to the leg-spinner. KL Rahul hit Mohd Shami for 18 runs with two boundaries and a six but was bowled in the next over by Zeeshan.
However, Abhishek Porel (34* off 18; 2x4, 2x6) and Tristan Stubbs (21* off 14; 3x4) ensured no more hiccups.
Electing to bat first, Sunrisers were off to a disastrous start, losing Abhishek Sharma (1) on the fifth ball after he reacted late to Head’s call. Starc then struck twin blows in his second over—dismissing Kishan and local lad Nitish—to reduce the visitors to 25/3. While Kishan chased a wide delivery to be caught by Tristan Stubbs at backward point, Nitish went for a wild swing, ballooning it to Axar at mid-on.
Starc then got the big fish Head, edging it to KL Rahul behind the wickets, as the visitors reeled at 37/4. Porel dropped a sitter at covers when Aniket skied Axar as SRH reached 58/4 in the powerplay. Aniket opened up in Vipraj Nigam’s over, hitting 16 runs before smashing Axar for two consecutive sixes in the next over. Klaasen welcomed Kuldeep with a six straight down the ground to take his side to 105/4 in 10 overs.
But Mohit Sharma broke the partnership when Vipraj took a stunner running back from backward point to see the back of Klaasen (32 off 19; 2x4, 2x6). Kuldeep removed Abhinav Manohar and Pat Cummins in successive overs cheaply.
In between, Aniket reached his half-century and hit Axar for a four and two sixes, collecting 17 runs in the 15th over. However, he perished when Jake Fraser-McGurk took a leaping catch at the boundary in Kuldeep’s over. Starc then returned to polish off the tail.