IPL 2021 Points Table: Updated standings after DC's clinical win over SRH
In what could be the final nail in SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) coffin in this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Delhi Capitals (DC) beat them by eight wickets on Wednesday.
Rishabh Pant's Delhi side had the boost of their highly successful bowling combination from last year. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje came out with set aggressive ploys which worked like a charm. Defensive support from Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin only enhanced their skills as SRH were bowled out for a sub-par 134 in the first innings.
To be fair to SRH, the pitch wasn't the best to bat on and had something for everyone. But DC's Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, all of whom had something to prove vis-à-vis the upcoming T20 World Cup, showed exactly the way to bat here with their perfect combination of skills and experience.
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Fittingly, it was last season's captain Iyer who finished the game with a commanding six on the penultimate ball of the 18th over, with the current skipper Pant watching gleefully from the other end.
A quick look at the updated IPL 2021 points table
What it means for DC?
A dominating display with both bat and ball tonight from our boys 🔥
#DCvSRH #IPL2021 #YehHaiNayiDilli https://t.co/gpFuNL841D
With the clinical performance, DC have not only snatched back the crown position in the points table from Chennai Super Kings (CSK), but they are now also the closest team to a guaranteed top-four berth in the tournament.
With 14 points after just nine matches, they now need only one more win to qualify for the playoffs. Even if they lose all five matches from now on, they'll still have a chance to qualify, which is certain to accentuate their fearlessness to the next level. DC's net run rate (NRR) is also on the healthier side at +0.613 which could come in handy to confirm a top-two finish as well.
They'll now compete against the Rajashtan Royals (RR) on Saturday in what is likely to be a tasty encounter.
What it means for SRH?
Not our day today, but we keep going, together. 🧡
#DCvSRH #OrangeOrNothing #OrangeArmy #IPL2021 https://t.co/oHMv5CFeTW
It's all over bar the shouting for the Orange Army. They have gone over half of the season with a single win. Innumerable - not to mention uncharteristic - team changes, a mid-season captaincy overhaul, and even a four-month break hasn't brought any improvement to their fortunes.
Before today's match, Kane Williamson had exuded belief to grab the "small chance" SRH had in the tournament. It meant they had to win all matches and reach 16 points, which isn't possible anymore. Their goal is still the same, but for SRH to qualify even with 14 points will require a large number of permutations and combinations to go their way.
All they can do from here is invest in those four or five players they would like to retain next season, give youngsters like Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma and Virat Singh more game-time to build loyalities, and play spoilsport for every other team in the table. All of this might start on Saturday when SRH go head-to-head against the seventh-ranked Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Sharjah.
Impact on the other teams in the points table
A match between table-toppers and wooden-spooners doesn't usually affect the mid-table tussle. Teams like RR, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and PBKS would be happy to see one of the contenders for the 4th spot down and out. CSK, meanwhile, will be raring to retrieve their position in the points table as soon as possible.