A solid, unbeaten knock of 83 runs from Karun Nair helped Delhi Daredevils beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in a last-ball thriller at Raipur to keep their Indian Premier League play-off hopes alive on Friday.


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Chasing Hyderabad's par total of 158, Delhi rode on Nair's knock despite a brilliant penultimate over from Mustafizur Rahman. Delhi needed 16 runs from the last two overs, but Mustafizur leaked only five runs and took a wicket, leaving the equation at 11 off 6.


Bhuvneshwar Kumar started the final over well, conceding five runs from the first four balls. Then, Nair took over, hitting two fours to end the chase.


Hyderabad's innings was held together by skipper David Warner's 73.


The win certainly kept Delhi in hunt for a top-four finish, but they are still sixth with 14 points. Four teams are with 14 points, and Delhi has the worst net run-rate at -0.102.


For Sunrisers, they continue to sit atop with 16 points. One match each for all the teams, before the knock outs.


DELHI DAREDEVILS INNINGS; TARGET 159


Over 20 || Score 161/4 (Nair 83; Samson 3)


Bhuvneshwar Kumar on for the last over. A double to Sanju Samson to start the over. A leg bye followed.


 A brilliant delivery from Bhuvneshwar. A short and well directed one, which caught Karun Nair at the crease. Single.


Seven off three. Another single as Bhuvi kept on the leg, even as  Samson backed off to make room.


Six off two. And short ball, which was hit back down the ground and beat two chasing fielders. Desperate dive from skipper David Warner was not enough to stop the ball.


Two off one. One for super over. A pull and went through mid-wicket area for a four. Once again, brilliant attempt from Warner to stop the ball, but.


Delhi won the last-ball thriller by six wickets.


Over 19 || Score 148/4 (Nair 74; Samson 1)


Mustafizur Rahman returned for his final over. A dot ball then a blinder of a catch from Barinder Sran at short third man ended dangerous Carlos Brathwaite innings, The West Indian found a thick edge, but for a catch. 


WICKET: Carlos Brathwaite c Barinder Sran b Mustafizur Rahman 10 (7b)


Sanju Samson, the new man, took a single off the very first he faced.


One brilliant penultimate over from Five runs and a wicket. His figures: 4-0-24-1.


Delhi Daredevils need 11 runs from 6 balls.


Over 18 || Score 143/3 (Nair 70; Brathwaite 10)


Then, Carlos Brathwaite power on show.


The West Indian batsman hit a full and wide delivery to the point fence. And the ball raced as if it was nuke powered. A wide followed.


A quick, risky single after Brathwaite played a drop shot. A bouncer followed, and Karun Nair's slipped his bat trying a swivel swing.


A leg bye, then four runs, which could have also went down as leg byes, before a single. Bhuvneshwar Kumar leaked 12 runs in his third over.


Delhi Daredevils need 16 runs from 12 balls.


Over 17 || Score 131/3 (Nair 70; Brathwaite 1)


Finally a catch taken. Jean-Paul Duminy who was dropped last ball of the previous over, once again offered an easy chance. This time, David Warner took the catch at long-on, and the Hyderabad skipper hit the ball into the ground.


WICKET: JP Duminy c David Warner b Barinder Sran 17 (15b)


That happened off the first ball, and Carlos Brathwaite arrived.


But Karun Nair continued to play his usual attacking game, and hit two more sixes off the third and sixth balls. 14 runs from the over.


Over 16 || Score 117/2 (Nair 57; Duminy 17)


With 52 runs off the last five overs required, Delhi batsmen started going inventive, but the result came only in the fourth ball with a four behind square.


Karun Nair moved towards the off stump, and picked the ball from the leg stump for a four. A single followed, then a easy catch dropped by Bhuvneshwar Kumar at deep mid-wicket. Jean-Paul Duminy survived.


Mustafizur Rahman leaked 10 runs.


Over 15 || Score 107/2 (Nair 52; Duminy 13)


Barinder Sran returned for his third over, and after two singles off the first two balls, skipper David Warner dropped a sitter. A skier from Karun Nair hit Warner's palms as he hoped to complete the catch at long-on. A single.


Then, confusion between the two Delhi batsmen. No run. Another dot. A single to end the over. Four runs from the over.


Over 14 || Score 103/2 (Nair 50; Duminy 11)


Another good over for Delhi. 11 runs from it, as Jean-Paul Duminy took charged in not time.


A single to Karun Nair off the first ball. Four off the next ball as Duminy swept past mid-wicket fielder. A double, then a single.


Another single and Karun Nair reached his third fifty of the season, off 42 balls.


A double to end the over.


TIME-OUT.


Over 13 || Score 92/2 (Nair 48; Duminy 2)


A good over to respond to the wicket in the previous over. Deepak Hooda returned for his second over and the off spinner conceded nine runs, which included a four off the fifth ball.


Karun Nair is batting beautifully, and with full authority. His knock may well proved to be the difference.


Over 12 || Score 83/2 (Nair 41; Duminy 0)


Finally the partnership broken, thanks to a run-out. Rishab Pant and Karun Nair had posted 73 runs in 9.5 overs. But a lethargic running accounted for Pant's wicket, off the fourth ball of the over.


Good throw from Bhuvneshwar Kumar form mid-wicket for the direct hit.


WICKET: Rishab Pant run out 32 (26b)


Jean-Paul Duminy is the new man. And eight runs from Karn Sharma's second over.


Over 11 || Score 75/1 (Pant 27; Nair 38)


Yuvraj Singh on for Hyderabad. Good start his spell, three singles and two doubles.


Delhi Daredevils need another 84 runs from 54 balls.


Over 10 || Score 68/1 (Pant 26; Nair 32)


Leg spinner Karn Sharma on for Hyderabad. Busy over.


A dot off the first ball, then four singles, and a double. Skipper David Warner back in the field for the fielding side.


Delhi Daredevils need another 91 runs from 60 balls.


Over 9 || Score 62/1 (Pant 22; Nair 30)


Moises Hanriques continued with his second over and 10 runs from it.


The singles off the first two balls, then a dot ball to Karun Nair. But the Delhi batsman played a beautiful pull shot off the next ball for a 82m six. It also brought up a fifty-run stand between Nair and Rishab Pant in 40 balls.


Two more singles.


TIME-OUT.


Over 8 || Score 52/1 (Pant 20; Nair 22)


Bowling change for Hyderabad. Deepak Hooda on and off spinner leaked seven runs from his first over — five singles and a double.


38 runs in the last five over, Delhi Daredevils need another 107 runs from 12 overs.


Over 7 || Score 45/1 (Pant 16; Nair 19)


Bowling change for Hyderabad. Moises Henriques leaked eight runs, including a four off the last over.


Rishab Pant, after two dots, came down to play a lofted shot over mid-on.


Delhi Daredevils need another 114 runs from 13 overs.


Over 6 || Score 37/1 (Pant 9; Nair 18)


Karun Nair, who toyed with Barinder Sran in the previous over, found Mustafizur Rahman unplayable.


A single to Rishab Pant off the first ball, then Nair consumed the remaining five balls.


One run from the over.


Over 5 || Score 36/1 (Pant 8; Nair 18)


Big over for Delhi. 14 runs, including three fours, from Barinder Sran's second over. The over witnessed the class of Karun Nair as the right-handed batsman played some exquisite shots. First four, off the second ball, was placed through point and the timing beat the chasing fielders.


Second four, off the fourth ball, was a delectable pull shot. Then, the third one, off the fifth ball, was another well-timed cover drive.


Over 4 || Score 22/1 (Pant 7; Nair 6)


Mustafizur Rahman on for Hyderabad. As expected a good start, but a loose delivery in the fifth, meant he leaked eight runs.


A dot ball to Rishab Pant, then two singles before a wide down the leg. A dot ball, then a slap over the square leg fielder for a four. Pant milked that.


A single to end the over.


Over 3 || Score 14/1 (Pant 1; Nair 5)


Tidy over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Only four runs from his second over. A four hit by Karun Nair off the fifth ball.


Delhi Daredevils need another 145 runs from 17 overs.


Over 2 || Score 10/1 (Pant 1; Nair 1)


Barinder Sran shared the new ball with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. A dot ball to Rishab Pant, then mess all around, for a single. Pant played towards backward square leg, but the not so sub Kane Williamson misfield created confusion to the batsmen.


Two dot balls, then caught behind. Quinton de Kock out.


WICKET: Quinton de Kock c Naman Ojha b Barinder Sran 2 (9b)


A single to the new man Karun Nair to end the brilliant over.


Over 1 || Score 8/0 (de Kock 2; Pant 0)


Eoin Morgan in for David Warner as the skipper for Sunrisers Hyderabad. And what start. Five wides from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.


And Delhi's target has become 155. No, 154, after another wide.


Three dot balls to Quinton de Kock, then a gently played straight drive for a couple. Two more dot balls to end the over, and without doing anything Delhi have eight runs.


SUNRISERS HYDERABAD INNINGS


Over 20 || Score 158/6 (Ojha 16)


A busy last over from Nathan Coulter-Nile.


Nine runs from it. A four off the first ball by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Then two singles and a double, before the run-out of Bhuvi off the last ball.


WICKET: Bhuvneshwar Kumar run out 13 (7b)


Nathan Coulter-Nile's figures: 4-0-36-1


Over 19 || Score 149/6 (Ojha 15; B Kumar 5)


A good penultimate over for the batting side. 14 runs as Naman Ojha and Bhuvneshwar Kumar targetted Zaheer Khan.


A six to start to start the over. Ojha picked the short ball, and pulled over square leg. A double, then a dot ball.


Ojha took a single, then Bhuvi hit a four over mid-on, and one bounce to boundary. A single to end the over.


Zaheer's figures: 4-0-26-0


Over 18 || Score 135/6 (Ojha 6; B Kumar 0)


Nathan Coulter-Nile returned for his third over, and took the wicket of Eoin Morgan. The England batsman hit the first ball of the over for a six, then took a double.


Then, the wicket as he holed out at long-on.


WICKET: Eoin Morgan Carlos Brathwaite b Nathan Coulter-Nile 14 (10b)


11 runs, and a wicket. 


Zaheer Khan returned for his third over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the new man.


In the previous over, Zaheer Khan conceded four singles.


Over 16 || Score 120/5 (Morgan 4; Ojha 2)


Short and wide, and David Warner reached to the ball, and ran two. Then a ramp shot, only to see Amit Mishra taking a good catch at third man.


WICKET: David Warner c Amit Mishra b Carlos Brathwaite 73 (56b)


Naman Ojha joined Eoin Morgan.


Five runs and a wicket from the over.


Over 15 || Score 115/4 (Warner 71; Morgan 3)


One tidy over from Amit Mishra. Seven runs from the leg spinner's third over. But still good phase for the batting team despite the lose of a wicket.


Hyderabad scored 47 runs in the last five overs.


Over 14 || Score 108/4 (Warner 66; Morgan 1)


Zaheer Khan brought in Jean-Paul Duminy on. A flat six through over mid-on, then a double as Moises Henriques started to open up. He can hit.


But the next ball, he holed out deep mid-wicket with Pawan Negi taking a good catch.


WICKET: Moises Henriques c Pawan Negi b JP Duminy 18 (13b)


TIME-OUT.


Eoin Morgan arrived to join his skipper David Warner in the centre.


With a big field to back-up, Duminy continued to flight the ball, inviting batsmen to hit.


A dot, and a single to end the over.


Over 13 || Score 99/3 (Warner 64; Henriques 12)


Jayant Yadav on for his fourth and final over. A double to David Warner, then a four through  mid-wicket. Two dot balls, then two singles.


Eight runs from the over. Yadav's figures: 4-0-37-0.


In the last five overs, Hyderabad have scored 46 runs losing a wicket.


Over 12 || Score 91/3 (Warner 57; Henriques 11)


A single to start the over, and majestic David Warner reached his seventh fifty of the season. A single more, than a dot ball to Warner.


A slower delivery, full on the middle, and a six over deep mid-wicket. Big. A single, then Moises Henriques stood tall and played  and exquisite pull shot for his first four.


13 runs from the over.


Over 11 || Score 78/3 (Warner 49; Henriques 6)


Amit Mishra continued with his leg spin. Five runs from the first three balls — two doubles and a single. Then David Warner played a reverse sweep for a four.


A single followed, then a dot to end the 10-run over.


Over 10 || Score 68/3 (Warner 44; Henriques 1)


Carlos Brathwaite returned for his second over. A double to David Warner, then a single.


Then, the wicket of Yuvraj Singh. Not a great delivery from the West Indian, but Yuvi played without footwork and languidly reached out to the ball, and dragged on.


WICKET: Yuvraj Singh b Carlos Brathwaite 10 (11b)


Moises Henriques is the new man. Another tidy over from Brathwaite. Five runs and a wicket.


Over 9 || Score 63/2 (Warner 41; Yuvraj 10)


A good over for the batting side as Yuvraj Singh hit his first four the match, off the third ball of Jayant Yadav's third ball.


Two singles off the first two balls, then the four. Yuvi picked the short and wide delivery, and cut it late.


Two singles and a double to end the 10-run over.


TIME-OUT.


Over 8 || Score 53/2 (Warner 39; Yuvraj 2)


Nathan Coulter-Nile, who leaked 14 runs in his first over, returned for his second over. Three runs from it as Delhi continued to apply pressure on Hyderabad batsman.


In the last three overs, Delhi have taken two wickets by conceding 11 runs.


Over 7 || Score 50/2 (Warner 38; Yuvraj 1)


Brilliant spell of play for Delhi. Two direct hits, and two run outs. Both by bowlers themselves.


Amitr Mishra started his spell with a dot ball to David Warner. Then, two singles.


It was followed by an brilliant effort from Mishra, who stopped a crunch drive from Warner, before hitting the stumps at the non-striker's end from a zero angle. Deepak Hooda, who backed up a distance, gone by a distance.


WICKET: Deepak Hooda run out 1 (1b)


Yuvraj Singh is the new man. Four runs and a wicket from the over.


Over 6 || Score 46/1 (Warner 36; Hooda 0)


Carlos Brathwaite, the West Indian all-rounder who rocked England in the ICC Twenty20 final, on for Delhi. He is on for unfit Chris Morris for today's match.


The medium-pacer started well with a single to Shikhar Dhawan, then a dot, followed by a double.


What an effort from the bid West Indian to stop that bullet of a straight drive from David Warner. It was followed by a single, as Warner played a short ball towards cover.


Then, the big wicket of Dhawan. Once again, a brilliant fielding off his own bowling. Dhawan played a straight drive and Brathwaite, stopped, and hit the stumps.


WICKET: Shikhar Dhawan run out 10 (8b)


That happened off the last ball of the over. Four runs and a wicket. Deepak Hooda is the new man. 


Over 5 || Score 42/0 (Warner 33; Dhawan 9)


Jayant Yadav returned for his second over. A dot ball to David Warner, then a double.


Warner, then, hit back-to-back fours. He thus crossed 600 IPL runs this season, second only Virat Kohli.


A dot ball from the off spinner. Another dot ball to end the 10-run over.


Over 4 || Score 32/0 (Warner 23; Dhawan 9)


Bowling change for Delhi. Nathan Coulter-Nile on.


The over started with a wide of off delivery, which was dispatched for a four behind square by David Warner. It was followed by a short ball, which was pulled by the Aussie for a double.


Then, a powerful drive from Warner for the second four of the over.


A well executed bouncer from the fast bowler for a dot. A quick single followed as Coulter-Nile's delivery on the leg stump was connected by an evasive Warner.


Shikhar Dhawan joined the fun with fine wrist work. A four to end the 15-run over.


Over 3 || Score 17/0 (Warner 12; Dhawan 5)


Zaheer Khan continued with his second over. A single to David Warner to start the over.


Shikhar Dhawan, who was out of the strike, came down and played a single handed lofted cover drive for a four.


A single, then a dot ball. Off the fourth ball, David Warner came down the pitch, but failed to time the stroke. A single.


A big shout for LBW. But Zaheer's swinging delivery was missing the left stump. And it also seemed to hit the bat first. Shikhar Dhawan survived.


Over 2 || Score 10/0 (Warner 10; Dhawan 0)


Spinner Jayant Yadav shared the new ball with his skipper. Three dot balls, then David Warner made room by backing off and played a well-timed cut shot for the first boundary of the match.


It was followed by an expansive drive, for another four through cover. A single, and eight runs from the over.


Over 1 || Score 1/0 (Warner 1; Dhawan 0)


Delhi skipper Zaheer Khan started the proceedings, with two slips for rival captain David Warner . A short of good length delivery for a dot. Three more dot balls followed. A single off the fourth ball.


Operating at the corridor of uncertainty, Zaheer managed to keep dangerous Aussie quiet. The fifth delivery, after pitching on outside off, shaped away just enough to beat Warner on front foot.


Another dot ball for an one-run over. Captain leading by example for Delhi.


Raipur is Daredevils' second home, after Delhi. It's expected to be a spinning pitch. Here's first glimpse from the centre, courtesy IPL



Players warming-up a while ago...




Here are the playing XIs:


Delhi Daredevils: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sanju Samson, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant, Jean-Paul Duminy, Carlos Brathwaite, Pawan Negi, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Amit Mishra, Jayant Yadav, Zaheer Khan (capt.)


Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (capt.), Shikhar Dhawan, Moises Henriques, Yuvraj Singh, Eoin Morgan, Deepak Hooda, Naman Ojha (wk), Karn Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Barinder Sran, Mustafizur Rahman


TOSS: Delhi Daredevils win toss, choose to bowl against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Before the start of this crucial tie, let's have a look how teams stand, and theirs chances of making to the all-important play-offs.


Match Officials


Umpires: Nand Kishore and Bruce Oxenford
Third Umpire: Virender Sharma
Match Referee: Sunil Chaturvedi
Reserve Umpire: Yeshwant Barde


SQUADS:


Delhi Daredevils: Zaheer Khan (capt.), Quinton de Kock, Jean-Paul Duminy, Mayank Agarwal, Amit Mishra, Sanju Samson, Mohammed Shami, Chris Morris, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Imran Tahir, Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair, Pawan Negi, Rishabh Pant, Sam Billings, Carlos Brathwaite, Khaleel Ahmed, Akhil Herwadkar, Mahipal Lomror, Chama Milind, Shahbaz Nadeem, Pratyush Singh, Pawan Suyal, Jayant Yadav.


Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner (capt.), Ben Cutting, Shikhar Dhawan, Moises Henriques, Kane Williamson, Yuvraj Singh, Eoin Morgan, Mustafizur Rahman, Ashish Nehra, Naman Ojha, Deepak Hooda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Barinder Sran, Karn Sharma, Siddarth Kaul, Abhimanyu Mithun, Vijay Shankar, Tirumalasetti Suman, Aditya Tare, Ashish Reddy, Ricky Bhui, Bipul Sharma, Trent Boult.


After Gujarat Lions' convincing win over Kings XI Punjab yesterday in Kanpur, the Indian Premier League points table has seen a change in order, and left Delhi Daredevils in an even more precarious situation.


The Zaheer Khan-led outfit, which need to win both the remaining matches, including today's fixture against table toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad, will need huge victories.


With 12 points from 12 matches, and with a negative net run-rate, the Daredevils are at sixth. A defeat today, and their campaign is as good as over.


For the David Warner-led side, one simple win from their remaining two fixtures will do. They have 16 points, and have a positive net run-rate.


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