Pat Cummins tore apart the DC top-order on Monday in Hyderabad. The SRH skipper won the toss and opted to bowl. He rattled SRH early, dismissing opener Karun Nair in the first delivery. Then he also removed Faf du Plessis and Abishek Porel.

Opening the bowling for SRH, Cummins struck in the first ball, sending a good length delivery, outside off. Nair was rooted to the crease, and attempted a weak stroke, feathering it instead, to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan. Then Cummins resumed his spell in the third over and removed Du Plessis in the first ball.

He sent a short length delivery, on middle and leg, and Du Plessis nicked it through to the wicketkeeper, departing for three off eight balls.

In the first ball of the fourth over, Cummins struck again, with DC crumbling to 15/3 in 4.1 overs. He sent a good length delivery, down leg, and Porel got a leading edge, with Kishan easily collecting it as the batter departed for eight off 10 balls.

DC batters collapsed to pressure from SRH bowlers as Jaydev Unadkat removed KL Rhaul for 10 off 14 balls. The India pacer sent a full delivery, around off, and he got a thick outside edge to the right of the wicketkeeper for a catch. Meanwhile, Harshal Patel removed DC skipper Axar Patel (6).

Harshal sent a full length delivery, around off, and Axar went too early, but ended up skewing his shot to wide mid-off.

SRH’s playoff chances

SRH’s playoff chances now depend on luck. Even if they maintain a winning spree in their remaining games, they still need other results to go their way. Their strategy hasn’t worked out this season, and new acquisition Mohammed Shami has also failed to impress. He also bagged the record of leaking most runs by an Indian bowler in IPL history. He was slammed for 74 runs in four overs vs PBKS, and it is the second-most expensive in IPL history.