Mitchell Starc's menace and Faf du Plessis' mastery propel Delhi Capitals to victory

Starc's lethal spell set the tone for the match, and despite a spirited fightback from SRH's Aniket Verma, who blazed 74 off just 41 balls, DC's chase was clinical, with Faf du Plessis leading the charge. Du Plessis's half-century, combined with a solid 81-run opening partnership, guided DC to an easy victory in just 16 overs, with seven wickets in hand.

Aniket's explosive knock, which included impressive sixes off Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, became the silver lining in a gloomy SRH performance. However, it wasn't enough to save them from their second straight loss.

Starc, who had been a menace in last year's IPL final, continued to trouble SRH's top order. Early mistakes from SRH were compounded by poor decision-making - Abhishek Sharma ran himself out in the first over, Ishan Kishan was dismissed cheaply, and Nitish Reddy holed out to mid-on. The head-to-head contest between Starc and SRH's opener, Head, looked promising, with Head striking two fours off Starc, but a well-timed delivery from the Australian saw Head dismissed cheaply, reducing SRH to 37 for 4 by the fifth over.

Aniket Verma, 23, a T20 rookie with only two previous matches under his belt, turned heads with his explosive 74, which included five fours and six sixes. His partnership with Heinrich Klaasen (77 off 40 balls) briefly lifted SRH from their early collapse. However, Aniket's luck nearly ran out early-he survived a missed run-out chance and a dropped catch off Axar Patel. But he made his opportunities count, launching Axar for back-to-back sixes and keeping SRH's hopes alive.

Despite Aniket's brilliance, SRH's middle and lower order couldn't build on the momentum. DC's spinners, particularly Kuldeep Yadav, made quick work of the tail. Aniket's aggressive shot-making was stifled, and with the loss of wickets in quick succession, SRH were left with eight balls unused, finishing with 175 for 9.

DC's chase started on the front foot thanks to du Plessis. His quickfire 26-ball half-century and a solid opening stand of 81 with Fraser-McGurk set a high tempo for the chase. Du Plessis, in particular, capitalized on the early mistakes of SRH's bowlers, punishing Abhishek Sharma and Pat Cummins for erring in length.

Zeeshan Ansari, making his first T20 appearance since 2019, initially struggled with his length but found his rhythm, dismissing du Plessis and Fraser-McGurk with a well-disguised spell. The breakthrough came too late, though, as Rahul's cameo of a six and a four off Shami was cut short by Ansari, who bowled him around the legs.

The chase was wrapped up smoothly by Porel and Stubbs, who combined for 51 off 28 balls, ensuring that DC crossed the line without further drama.

Though SRH's fightback, especially Aniket's power-packed innings, was commendable, it wasn't enough to make up for their early collapses. DC, on the other hand, displayed an all-around team performance, with Starc's destructive bowling and du Plessis's fiery start making the difference in their comfortable win.

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