Mitchell Starc’s fiery 5/35 dismantles SRH; Faf du Plessis and Fraser-McGurk lead Delhi Capitals to a dominant seven-wicket victory in Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam, March 30: Mitchell Starc turned up the heat for Delhi Capitals (DC) with a sensational five-wicket haul, steering his team to a resounding seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash held at Visakhapatnam. His figures of 5/35 in just 3.4 overs earned him the Player of the Match award and firmly announced his arrival in the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Starc expressed satisfaction with his performance and the team’s execution.
“You have to try and do things you don’t normally do and find leeway against batters—nice it came off today,” he told ESPNcricinfo.
The Australian pace ace also highlighted his tactical adjustment against power-hitter Travis Head, deliberately avoiding full-length deliveries, a move that paid off.
“I’ve played for long enough, so I know what to do. Gotta think outside the box—even as an older player, you have to bowl different balls. Glad that worked out.”
He also emphasized the refreshing experience of joining a new, youthful squad, adding:
“It’s great to get into a new, young group and form new relationships with guys you haven’t played with.”
Match Summary
SRH won the toss and chose to bat, but Starc’s early burst reduced them to 37/4. A brief fightback came through a 77-run partnership between Aniket Verma (74 off 41) and Heinrich Klaasen (32 off 19), but the rest of the batting lineup faltered against Starc and Kuldeep Yadav (3/22). SRH were bundled out for 163 in 18.4 overs.
In reply, DC’s chase was clinical. Openers Jake Fraser-McGurk (38 off 32) and Faf du Plessis (50 off 27) laid a solid foundation with an 81-run stand, virtually sealing the game within the first 10 overs. Though DC briefly stumbled to 115/3, a composed finish by Abishek Porel (34 off 18)* and Tristan Stubbs (21 off 14) took the team home with 24 balls to spare.
This win gives Delhi Capitals a momentum boost in the tournament and reinforces Starc’s match-winning value as a leader of their bowling attack. With eight wickets already in the campaign, the Aussie speedster is clearly back in business.