IPL Play of the Day: Abhishek Sharma outsmarts Delhi, forces Nitish Rana into full spell

Delhi Capitals, led by Axar Patel, had a night to forget at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on April 21, as they were tactically outmanoeuvred by a 25-year-old who executed his plan to perfection.

That man was Abhishek Sharma.

The left-hander anchored Sunrisers Hyderabad’s charge with a blistering 47-ball hundred — his second in the Indian Premier League — powering the hosts to 242/2, their highest total of the season. The result: a commanding 47-run win over Delhi.

The plan against Abhishek

There’s a well-known template to contain Abhishek — take pace off the ball and use off-spin to force errors. It’s a tactic that has worked before, with teams like Pakistan, Netherlands and South Africa troubling him with similar methods.

Delhi followed that script by bringing in Nitish Rana as an additional spin option alongside Axar and Kuldeep Yadav.

Early control, sudden shift

Rana was introduced as early as the second over and delivered immediate results, conceding just six runs. Encouraged, Axar persisted with him in the powerplay.

But the move quickly backfired.

In Rana’s second over, Travis Head and Abhishek went on the attack, smashing three sixes and taking 20 runs. Despite the damage, Delhi stuck with the plan. Rana’s third over went for just six runs again, as Abhishek briefly held back. That restraint, however, proved deceptive.

The bluff that changed the game

Abhishek’s approach appeared calculated. By not going hard at Rana every over, he subtly encouraged Delhi to keep bowling him. Axar fell for it, handing Rana his full quota. The final over — the 15th — proved decisive. Abhishek unleashed, hammering three sixes and a boundary to race to his hundred. Rana leaked 23 runs in that over, finishing with figures of 4-0-55-0.

More importantly, Delhi’s decision meant their frontline spinners — Axar and Kuldeep — bowled only two overs each, leaving four overs unused between them.

Where Delhi lost it

What started as a smart tactical move turned into a costly miscalculation. Abhishek not only countered Delhi’s plan but manipulated it to his advantage. In a format where margins are razor-thin, Delhi Capitals were not just beaten — they were outthought.