HYDERABAD: The league phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is nearing its halfway stage. The front-runners have set early pace but Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals, who will battle it out on Monday, are lagging way behind.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has seen mixed fortunes for the hosts, with Rajasthan Royals winning the season-opener convincingly and the Sunrisers holding their nerve to win by eight wickets against Punjab Kings in a low-scoring encounter, where Shikhar Dhawan’s unbeaten 99 was upstaged by Rahul Tripathi’s unbeaten 74.
Tripathi’s knock was followed by Harry Brook’s hurricane hundred and skipper Aiden Markram’s half-century in a winning cause against Kolkata Knight Riders, but that only proved to be false dawn as the Sunrisers faltered against Lucknow, Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings.
