Hyderabad : Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) registered their third consecutive commanding victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) by 47 runs, powered by a splendid and flamboyant century from Abhishek Sharma. SRH posted a colossal 242 for 2, and a disciplined and well-executed bowling attack, led by Eshan Malinga, restricted DC to 195 for 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in the 31st match of the 2026 season on Tuesday.
The match began with DC won the toss and elected to bowl firs. SRH’s opening duo came out aggressively and, by dismantling the DC bowlers, built a strong opening partnership of 97 runs. While Abhishek dominated the scoring, Head contributed a steady 37 off 26 balls. Abhishek Sharma produced one of the most spectacular innings of the season, remaining unbeaten with a remarkable and exquisite 135 off just 68 deliveries, including 10 fours and 10 sixes. He showcased outstanding stroke play, dismantling both pace and spin bowling.
The knock marked Abhishek’s second IPL hundred and underlined his growing stature in T20 cricket. It was also the second time he struck 10 sixes in a single IPL innings, making him only the second player after Chris Gayle to achieve this feat multiple times. With this innings, Abhishek moved to nine T20 centuries, drawing level with Virat Kohli among Indian batters. He now stands among elite names in T20 cricket, with Gayle leading the chart with 22 hundreds, followed by Babar Azam (12) and David Warner (10). Abhishek now shares the next spot with players like Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw, and Sahibzada Farhan. His 135* ranks among the highest individual scores in IPL history, just behind iconic knocks like Gayle’s unbeaten 175 and Brendon McCullum’s 158*. Abhishek himself already features on that elite list with a 141-run knock last season, highlighting his consistency in delivering big scores. He also crossed 2,000 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad, becoming just the fourth batter overall and only the second Indian to reach this milestone for the franchise.
After Head’s dismissal, Ishan Kishan came in and added a quick 25 off 13 balls but was unfortunately run out at the non-striker’s end by Nitish Rana. Heinrich Klaasen then played a blistering innings of 37 off 13 balls. Together, Abhishek and Klaasen helped SRH reach an imposing total of 242/2 in 20 overs. DC’s bowling looked completely under pressure, with dropped catches, misfielding, and ineffective bowling. Nitish Rana’s spell, in particular, backfired badly as he conceded 55 runs in four overs.
Chasing a huge total, DC desperately needed a strong start, but Dilshan Madushanka’s early removal of Nissanka for 8 off 6 balls quickly dented their hopes. KL Rahul tried to stabilize the innings with 37 off 23 balls but could not carry on. At number three, Nitish Rana played an attacking knock of 57 off 30 deliveries during the middle overs before falling to Eshan Malinga. Later, Rizvi (41 off 28) and Tristan Stubbs (27 off 16) contributed useful runs, but the massive required run rate kept mounting pressure on the batters. Eshan Malinga proved to be the key figure in breaking partnerships and controlling DC’s scoring. He delivered an outstanding performance with exceptional figures of 4 for 32 in his 4 overs, marking his best bowling figures in the IPL. Harsh Dubey also provided excellent support, taking 3 wickets for just 12 runs in his 2 overs.
DC eventually finished their 20 overs at 195 for 9, falling well short due to SRH’s clinical bowling performance. Abhishek Sharma was named Player of the Match for his record-breaking century and became the current Orange Cap holder. With this win, SRH moved to third position in the table with 8 points, while DC slipped to fifth position with 6 points.
