IPL 2026: Abhishek runs riot again! Opener's ton seals SRH’s 47-run hammering of DC

HYDERABAD: Explosive opener Abhishek Sharma blasted his second IPL century, an unbeaten 135 (68b; 10x4, 10x6), while Eshan Malinga (4/32) produced another impressive performance as Sunrisers Hyderabad crushed Delhi Capitals by 47 runs to record their third straight win and fourth overall in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

Abhishek was at his destructive best, powering the hosts to 242/2, their fifth total of 200 or more this season. He added 97 for the opening wicket with Travis Head (37; 26b, 2x4, 2x6), 79 for the second wicket with Ishan Kishan (25; 13b, 2x4, 1x6) and an unbroken 66 for the third with Heinrich Klaasen (37*; 13b, 3x4, 3x6). The hosts then restricted Capitals to 195/9.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Dilshan Madushanka struck on debut to dismiss Pathum Nissanka (6) in his second over. KL Rahul, dropped on 14 by Malinga in his follow through, and Nitish Rana took Capitals to 59/1 in the powerplay.

Rana then hit Shivang Kumar for 19 runs in the eighth over to reach his half-century in 27 deliveries. But Sakib Hussain ended the 86-run second-wicket stand by removing Rahul (37; 23b, 2x4, 3x6) as the visitors reached 107/2 at the halfway stage.

Malinga then turned the game with back-to-back wickets. He first removed Rana (57; 30b, 7x4, 3x6), caught at long-on, and then bowled the dangerous David Miller for nought to reduce the visitors to 107/4.

Sameer Rizvi (41; 28b, 2x4, 2x6) and Tristan Stubbs (27; 16b, 3x4, 1x6) added 59 for the fifth wicket but Malinga struck again. He dismissed Stubbs in the 16th over and Ashutosh Sharma in the 18th. Harsh Dubey (3/12) capped a perfect evening for the hosts by striking thrice in the final over.

Earlier, asked to bat, Abhishek and Head took SRH to 67/0 in the powerplay. Abhishek survived a run-out chance going for a risky second run as KL Rahul failed to gather the ball cleanly and reached his half-century in 25 balls. He celebrated it with another straight six off Axar, but Head holed out in the same over.

Kishan took on Kuldeep Yadav for two boundaries and a six as 22 came off the over. Abhishek got another reprieve when Rana dropped him on 86 at deep backward point in the 14th over off T Natarajan. He made Capitals pay by hitting Rana for consecutive sixes on the way to a century off 47 balls.