Delhi thrash Hyderabad in COVID-hit IPL match

DUBAI (AFP): South African bowlers Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada helped set up an eight-wicket win for Delhi Capitals on Wednesday in an Indian Premier League match that went ahead despite a Sunrisers Hyderabad player testing positive for coronavirus.

Hyderabad left-arm quick Thangarasu Natarajan and six of his close contacts were isolated hours before the latest match in the Twenty20 tournament in Dubai.

An IPL release said Natarajan is “currently asymptomatic” while the contacts and other Hyderabad players all returned negative tests. On the field, Nortje returned figures of 2-12 and fellow Proteas quick Rabada took three wickets to further hurt Hyderabad who managed just 134-9 after electing to bat.

Shikhar Dhawan lay the foundations for Delhi’s chase with his brisk 42 and then Shreyas Iyer (47) and skipper Rishabh Pant (35) took the team home in 17.5 overs with an unbeaten stand of 67 for the third wicket.

The left-handed Dhawan leads the IPL batting chart with 422 runs including three half-centuries in nine matches.

Delhi, who are still searching for their first IPL title, moved back to the top of the eight-team table. Hyderabad stay at the bottom with seven losses from eight matches.