IPL 2017: Delhi Daredevils down Sunrisers Hyderabad, stop 5-match losing streak

All-rounder Corey Anderson smashed a 24-ball 41 not out to hand Delhi Daredevils a six-wicket win over defending Indian Premier League champions Sunrisers Hyderabad and haul his team off the bottom of the points table.

Delhi Daredevils’ youth power displayed its full vigour on Tuesday as it lifted the team from the bottom of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 points table with a six-wicket win over defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad here.

Delhi Daredevils pacer Mohammed Shami was named the Man-of-the-Match for his performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2017 Indian Premier League at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Tuesday night. (BCCI)

After Yuvraj Singh scored a vintage 41-ball 70 not out to take Sunrisers Hyderabad to 185/3 in 20 overs, four Daredevils batsmen contributed 30-plus scores to guide their team to the target as they reached 189/4 in 19.1 overs.

New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson hammered 41 not out to seal victory.

READ | Yuvraj Singh impresses with 35-ball fifty against Delhi Daredevils

DD teamwork

The scores may not look significant on paper but on the field contributions from Sanju Samson, stand-in skipper Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer combined to lift the spirits of a team that was on a five-match losing streak.

At the end a 24-ball 41 not out, Anderson ensured the youngsters’ fight was not wasted as DD finally found solace at home.

DD now are at the sixth spot with six points from nine matches, while SRH continue to remain in the third spot with 13 points from 11 games.

READ | IPL full score, Delhi Daredevils vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: DD beat SRH 6 by wickets

Yuvraj the rescuer

Earlier, with SRH’s top batsmen, skipper David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson back in the pavilion, the onus was on Yuvraj to lead his team to safety. And he took full responsibility.

India pacer Mohammed Shami bowled a tight spell, claiming the dangerous Warner and Kiwi Kane Williamson, taking charge in the absence of injured skipper Zaheer Khan. He returned 2/36 and was named the Man-of-the-Match.

Yuvraj, Henriques revel

The stylish left-hander and Moises Henriques were involved in an unbeaten 93-run fourth-wicket stand, which helped SRH recover from 92/3 to a 180-plus total.

For Yuvraj, this was the second half-century in this IPL edition and came after a string of single digit scores. The innings not just stood out because of the raining boundaries in the later overs, but also the way Yuvraj anchored it till the finish.

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He stayed quiet in the early overs and took quick singles with Henriques. That did not, however, mean the left-hander was choked by DD. He went for at least one boundary every over. He upped the ante only after 15 overs.

Yuvraj took a liking for DD pacers Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada. He indulged in some power-hitting to take SRH to a challenging total.

DD’s youth power

DD’s innings was collective effort. All top-five batsmen got starts and never cracked under pressure.

Sanju Samson and Karun Nair gave the team a steady start, scoring 40 runs in the first four overs. After the former fell to a slower ball from Mohammed Siraj, Nair continued the onslaught with Rishabh Pant.

Nair’s better effort

Just when it looked that the struggling Nair might get his maiden half-century this IPL season, he was caught at long-off by Bhuvneshwar Kumar off pacer Siddharth Kaul, with the scorecard reading 72/2.

After Nair’s departure, it was Pant’s turn to take on the hitting. He hit four fours and a six to reach 34 in just 20 balls but fell to the brilliance of Siraj, who bowled him with a quicker delivery.

But it seemed to be a day when all the Delhi Daredevils youth were charged up to prove a point. After Pant’s fall, it was Iyer’s turn to raise the temperature. The second-highest run-scorer for DD this season maintained his form to score a 25-ball 33. When he was dismissed by Bhuvneshwar, DD were 148/4 in 16 overs.

With less than 40 runs needed in the last four overs, DD’s foreign recruits Chris Morris and Corey Anderson kept their calm to take their team home.