As it happened - Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2022

Gaurav Sundararaman tells us: Delhi Captitals have now joined Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings on 10 points after 10 games on the points table. However, Capitals' NRR is the best among all ten teams in the competition with a positive NRR of .641. SRH now have lost three in a row but have ensured the losses have not been too bad in spite of conceding over 200 in two of those games. Their NRR is still among the best in the tournament. Both these teams need not worry about NRR as much as RCB and Punjab Kings who both have negative run rates and would need to win as well as win big.

SRH needed 171 off 78 when he walked out. The asking rate went up from 13 to over 14 an over even as Markram went after the bowlers and Pooran played second fiddle to reach 19 off 17 balls. SRH then needed over 15 an over - 111 off 43 - when Markram also departed and Pooran took it upon himself to at least take SRH close (and keep a healthy NRR) if not over the line. He took on the pace of Nortje, the slower ones of Shardul Thakur, and almost everyone who came his way to smoke three sixes over long-off and three more over the midwicket region, mostly with fielders out in the deep.

He brought it down to 74 off 30 and 43 off 14 but eventually fell to...wait for it....a full toss which he heaved to long-on for a smoking hot 62 off 34. SRH are going down in this match, but not too far down on the points table.

He was on 98 before today, and with the wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram, Khaleel has reached a big milestone.

Before this match started, SRH had four batters in their line-up who had crossed 200 runs this IPL. And in today's steep chase of 208, they needed at least two of those to go big or deep. But by the 13th over, all four of them - Markram, Tripathi, Abhishek and Williamson - have gone back. Abhishek and Williamson fell in the powerplay, Tripathi in the over after that, which left a lot for Markram's shoulders. He took on DC's best bowler this season - Kuldeep - for three sixes, he went after Marsh too, and he was closing in on a quickfire fifty but he holed out to long-off off a Khaleel slower ball.

Shashank Singh joins Nicholas Pooran in the middle as SRH need an improbable 91 off 36. Another boost for Delhi Capitals' NRR coming up if they win big.

If Nortje had bowled just 2.2 overs before today this year, Mitchell Marsh had sent down only three overs in 2022. And that was way back in January in the BBL, where he was used as the fifth bowler by Perth Scorchers. Tonight, Rishabh Pant gave the ball to Marsh even before Kuldeep Yadav, as soon as the powerplay ended, as the fourth bowler. Marsh struck with his sixth ball after conceding just two runs in the preceding five deliveries and after SRH had managed just 35 for 2 in the powerplay. SRH needed a push, Rahul Tripathi tried to break the shackles with a premeditated pull to leg by shuffling across but he holed out.

Marsh then nearly had two wickets in his first eight balls when he beat Pooran with a short of length ball on the pads, Marsh appealed and the umpire gave it out but thanks to DRS, Pooran reviewed it immediately and ball-tracking showed it was missing leg and SRH sighed with relief.

Anrich Nortje has just returned from a loooong injury layoff, he's playing his second IPL game (he bowled just 2.2 overs in the first about a month ago) and only his second competitive game this year. What does he do today? He came on as first change, bowled two overs in the powerplay, hit 150kmh-plus a couple of times and got the big wicket of Kane Williamson with a legcutter. Before that, Khaleel Ahmed had removed SRH's top-scorer this IPL, Abhishek Sharma, who handed a catch straight to short fine leg for 7. SRH have crawled to 35 for 2 after the powerplay.

And here's what Dan Vettori had to say about Warner's innings against his old team:

Gaurav Sundararaman pings me again: SRH have conceded in excess of 200 on three occasions this tournament. In all three matches, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has conceded just 29 runs, 22 runs and 25 runs respectively. His ability to perform in such batting-friendly conditions shows how far he is ahead of his peers. This has been captured through ESPNcricinfo's Smart Stats. Among all bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 100 balls, only Sunil Narine has a better Smart Economy than Bhuvneshwar.

Malik touched 157kph in his final over - which I think would be the fastest ball of the tournament - but that couldn't prevent Powell from carving 18 more, taking Capitals comfortably above 200 in the end. Warner stood watching from the non-striker's, unconcerned about his own milestone and fist-pumping with glee each time Powell crashed one to the ropes. Brabourne is a high-scoring ground, and we have seen a successful 200-plus chase here - but Sunrisers have their work cut out for them.

Here's something David Warner said on the value of top-order runs before this encounter:

"I think the most important thing is myself or him [Shaw] or Mitch scoring an 80 or 90 or even a hundred if we can, to post good totals or chase down big totals, and that's the key," Warner said. "I think that's the focus for every other team. The teams who are doing well are scoring big runs at the top of the order. And, two players are actually scoring big in the games, they are the ones that you really need to shine to win these games."

Three more boundaries in the 19th over - including what was effectively a right-handed dab to third, as Warner turned around looking to switch hit - and he's on to 92 from 58. Is he getting a hundred against his former team? These two have also put on a century stand, with Capitals closing in on 200.

No sooner had I commented on Sunrisers' fast-bowling depth... than Abbott's final over goes for 18, including two monstrous blows for six from Powell.

Capitals well placed on 147 for 3 after 16, as the batting timeout is called; ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster has them on track to reach 190. Sunrisers are battling away, though, despite a depleted attack at the fastest-scoring venue of this year's IPL. As my colleague Gaurav Sundararaman points out, SRH have generally been big on fast bowling depth, picking up Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4.2 cr), T Natarajan (4 cr) and Kartik Tyagi (4 cr) at auction for less than the cost of Deepak Chahar (14 cr). That has helped keep them competitive, despite the absence of Natarajan and Marco Jansen today.

Bhuvi, in fact, had superb figures of 1 for 4 from 15 balls until being slaughtered for six over deep backward square leg in the last over by Powell.

Warner drills Abbott for four to finish an otherwise decent over and bring up the 50 partnership between him and Powell... and then Kane Williamson shells a straightforward catch from the very next ball. Pitched up by Malik and Powell hammered a drive, but it was right into the breadbasket for the SRH captain stood at mid-off. Or should have been, anyway. That's a second life for Powell, who might have been caught at short fine leg in Abbott's over, only for Tyagi to lose the ball over his shoulder and get nowhere near it.

A 34-ball half-century for Warner, coming against his former franchise. The Australia opener continues to lead the way for Capitals - and they have a solid platform here, Rovman Powell bringing up their 100 in emphatic style with six over long-off from the last ball of the the 11th over.

Pant fires, then blows himself up! Three sixes in a row off Gopal (whose first over had cost just one) - but the legspinner has the final say with a full toss that Pant chops into his stumps. Pant had pootered along to 4 off 11, before launching sixes over deep square leg, long-on and long-off; he also managed to squeeze out four beyond deep point. But the final ball of the over was dragged on, to leave Capitals captain slumped on his bat in frustration. First time Pant has been dismissed by a spinner this IPL.

Slower ball, Mitch Marsh misjudges it... and Sean Abbott has his first-ever IPL wicket. Dropped his pace right down to 66kph by rolling his fingers over the ball for a little legcutter, and Marsh popped it straight back off the splice. There might have been a run-out chance from the next delivery, too, with Rishabh Pant belatedly sending Warner back. But a second powerplay wicket, and just six off the over, keeps Sunrisers happy enough with the early exchanges.

An early sight of Umran Malik, but the extra pace merely serves to kickstart the Capitals innings. Malik had previously only bowled one over in the powerplay this season, but in the absence of Jansen and Natarajan he's called into action early - only to go around the park for 21 runs. His first ball, a 144kph leg-side wide that beat Pooran and flew to the rope, set the tone for a sloppy over. Two more boundaries followed as Warner cashed in on a shortened length, and he then flipped the final ball all the way over fine leg for six. Malik's decision to bang it in was perhaps influenced by a horror show against CSK last time out, when his 19 fuller balls were hit for 38 runs.

First appearance in a month for Mandeep, and it's over quickly! He was being pulled this way and that by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who teased a couple away, a couple back in and then found the outside edge with Mandeep reaching well away from his body. Just a feather nick through to Pooran, and Capitals are 0 for 1 after the first over.

Another coin toss goes the way of Kane Williamson - that's nine from 10 this IPL, and eight in a row. Sunrisers will bowl first and have made three changes, bringing in a trio of debutants: Sean Abbott, Kartik Tyagi and Shreyas Gopal. Washington Sundar and T Natarajan were doubtful with injuries, while Marco Jansen is also missing. Some enforced changes for Delhi, too. Prithvi Shaw is understood to be unwell, while Axar Patel has a hip problem. Mandeep Singh comes in to open the batting alongside Warner, while Anrich Nortje and Khaleel Ahmed are back. Ripal Patel is also included, while Chetan Sakariya is the seamer to miss out.