In Match 31 of IPL 2026, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured a dominant 47-run victory over the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. This win marks a significant hat-trick of victories for the Sunrisers, propelling them to third place in the points table.
After being invited to bat first, Hyderabad posted a mammoth total of 242/2, a score that proved far too steep for the visiting side. The innings was defined by a historic and record-breaking performance from Abhishek Sharma, who registered his second century of the season and his ninth overall in T20 cricket.
Abhishek Sharma’s unbeaten 135 off just 68 deliveries was a masterclass in modern power-hitting. His innings was peppered with ten boundaries and ten towering sixes, including a sequence in the 15th over where he dispatched Nitish Rana for consecutive maximums to reach his hundred.
Along the way, he surpassed legends like Chris Gayle for the most scores of 130-plus in T20 history and moved level with Virat Kohli for the most T20 centuries by an Indian. He was supported by Travis Head, who contributed 37 runs in a 97-run opening stand, and Heinrich Klaasen, whose late cameo of 37 off 13 balls* ensured Hyderabad finished with a daunting total.
Here are some reactions:
SRH Defeated DC by 47 runs!
With Today's Win, SRH Now at 3rd Place in Pointstable! pic.twitter.com/4dkcfL3t3F
— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) April 21, 2026
THIRD CONSECUTIVE VICTORY FOR SUNRISERS HYDERABAD 🔥
– Defended total vs RR.
– Defended total vs CSK.
– Defended total vs DC.A Statement by Ishan & SRH. pic.twitter.com/RBYZfttaNx
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 21, 2026
Strong first half as SRH captain for Ishan Kishan:
• Defended totals vs KKR, RR, CSK & DC
• Backed young bowlers (Dubey, Sakib, Malinga)
• Calm decisions under pressure
• Led from front with the bat
Promising leadership phase.#IshanKishan #SRH #IPL2026 #orangearmy
— Jaggu (@Ishankibehan) April 21, 2026
BEST FIGURES BY OVERSEAS BOWLERS FOR SRH IN IPL :
4-11 : Mohammad Nabi vs RCB
4-22 : Darren Sammy vs PBKS
4-32 : Ehsan Malinga vs DC pic.twitter.com/dmK14tRc2W— Maina Singh (@Maina_Singhx77) April 21, 2026
4 wins batting first and defending the score
65 runs win vs KKR
57 run win vs RR
10 run win vs CSK
47 run win vs DC todaySun Risers Hyderabad bowling ra Luchas 🔥 #SRHvDC #OrangeArmy #SRHpic.twitter.com/MCgNWxu0bH
— God of Shinobi 🇮🇳🚩 (@Shinobi_nokami1) April 21, 2026
THIRD CONSECUTIVE VICTORY FOR SUNRISERS HYDERABAD 🔥
– Defended total vs RR.
– Defended total vs CSK.
– Defended total vs DC.A Statement by Ishan & SRH.pic.twitter.com/qAY7TUQs1o
— Sarle Lyt 🏃 (@Edaina_sare) April 21, 2026
🚨 MOST HUNDREDS BY INDIAN BATTERS IN T20s 🚨
– Abhishek Sharma : 9
– Virat Kohli : 9
– Rohit Sharma : 8Abhishek joins the elite and is already rewriting records… what a rise! SRH vs DC | IPL 2026 pic.twitter.com/JCD40YSgn3
— CricPal (@AnupPalAgt) April 21, 2026
DC Middle-Order Collapses Despite Fighting Efforts from Nitish Rana and KL Rahul
In response, the Delhi Capitals struggled to maintain the required run rate as wickets fell at regular intervals. Despite a valiant 57 from Nitish Rana and a steady 37 from captain KL Rahul, the middle order collapsed under the pressure of the chase.
The turning point occurred when both settled batters were dismissed in quick succession, leaving the lower order with an impossible task. Sameer Rizvi provided some late resistance with 41 runs, but the disciplined Hyderabad bowling unit never allowed the Capitals to get back into the game.
The bowling effort was spearheaded by Eshan Malinga, who claimed career-best figures of 4/32, consistently breaking the back of the Delhi batting lineup. Harsh Dubey also played a pivotal role, cleaning up the tail with three wickets in the final over to restrict Delhi to 195/9.
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