Batting first, Delhi found themselves in dire straits early in the innings, reeling at 29 for 5 within the first 7.1 overs, thanks to SRH's fiery pace

The damage was inflicted by a fiery spell from Sunrisers’ skipper Pat Cummins, who returned impressive figures of 3 for 19 in his four overs

Cummins was ably supported by left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat, who maintained a tight line and conceded just 13 runs while picking up a crucial wicket in his quota of four overs

Delhi’s innings was salvaged through a resilient partnership between middle-order batter Tristan Stubbs and the dynamic Ashutosh Sharma, who came in at No. 8. The pair put on a 66-run stand off just 45 deliveries for the seventh wicket, reviving DC’s hopes of posting a defendable total. Stubbs anchored the innings with a composed 41* and held one end despite the early chaos, showcasing maturity under pressure. At the other end, Ashutosh injected much-needed momentum into the innings with an aggressive 41 off 26 balls, laced with two boundaries and three sixes

Despite the early damage and pressure from disciplined SRH bowling, the duo’s effort lifted Delhi to a respectable 133, giving their bowlers something to work with on a pitch that appeared to assist seam and bounce early on