Dubai, Sep 23: Delhi Capitals started the second half of the IPL 2021 on a positive note with a convincing 8-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday (September 22).
Delhi Capitals' fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada picked up 5 wickets between themselves to help their team restrict SRH to a below-par 134/9 before the Delhi Capitals batsmen wrapped up the chase in 17.5 overs. With this win, the Rishabh Pant-led side moved to the top of the table with 14 points from 9 matches.
Delhi Capitals batsman Shreyas Iyer, who played his first IPL match post recovering from his shoulder injury, announced his arrival with a crucial knock of 47 runs off 41 balls in his comeback game. Iyer was thrilled to make a dream comeback and admitted it was a great feeling to be out there in the middle, "It was a great feeling to be out there. It was like a story unfolding the way I wanted it to. It really felt special because I expected myself to come back into the team and perform. I am really happy with my performance."
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The 26-year-old top-order batsman added that he looked to back his instincts in the middle, "I wanted to be positive when I went into bat and I wanted to back my instincts. I looked to bat till the end and finish the game. And that's what happened. I gave myself some time in the middle and after a while, I was able to pick up the lengths of the deliveries."
When asked about the importance of starting off with a victory, Iyer said, "It's the best feeling in the world. When we came to Dubai, we were on top of the table and now starting off with a bang in this game, I feel that the spirits are high in the team. We need to continue with the same momentum and let's hope that we have a blast of a season."
The Delhi Capitals will face Rajasthan Royals - who registered a thrilling two-run win over Punjab Kings - in their next match at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (25 September).