Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals Prediction & Preview – IPL 2026 (21 Apr)
Match summary
Our preview of Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026 at Hyderabad: recent form, likely XIs, pitch, dew and weather, and expected scores.
Match details
| Match | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, 31st Match |
|---|---|
| Series | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Date | 21 Apr 2026 |
| Start time | 2:00 pm GMT / 7:30 pm local |
| Venue | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Toss pick | Delhi Capitals |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Sunrisers Hyderabad host Delhi Capitals in the 31st match of IPL 2026. SRH arrive on the back of two wins, having made 216 against Rajasthan and 194 against Chennai Super Kings, with their bowlers taking 18 wickets across those games.
Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head open, and added 75 in under six overs last time out. Sharma has 188 runs in six matches at a strike rate above 220, while Head has 143. Ishan Kishan, the captain, bats at three with over 200 runs and a 91 earlier in the season. Heinrich Klaasen tops the charts with 283 runs, supported by Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Salil Arora. Eshan Malinga leads the wicket-takers with eight, backed by Praful Hinge, Sakib Hussain and Shivang Kumar.
Delhi come in after beating Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets, having held RCB to 175 with two wickets each for Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. KL Rahul scored a quick 57 and, with Tristan Stubbs, made a half-century in the chase. Pathum Nissanka partners Rahul at the top, with Karun Nair expected at three and Sameer Rizvi possibly moved up the order. David Miller offers late acceleration.
Delhi’s bowlers have taken just over half of the wickets available to them this season, so improving their strike rate is a priority. Our preview picks Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Hyderabad generally offers a balanced surface with true bounce and good carry, and the quick outfield turns timing into boundaries. Seamers may find early movement that eases as the innings goes on. The pitch can slow in the middle overs, which helps spinners before dew sets in. Evening dew can make the ball hard to grip, favouring the chasing team.
A warm, comfortable evening is forecast for the 7:30 pm local start, with temperatures of about 27–30°C and partly cloudy or slightly hazy skies. Winds should be light and rain is very unlikely. Humidity may rise through the evening, raising the chance of dew in the second innings.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 175–195 | – |
| Second innings | 170–190 | – |
Sunrisers Hyderabad
SRH are in strong batting form after back-to-back wins and Heinrich Klaasen leads the run charts, giving them the edge at home.
Toss pick: Delhi Capitals
FAQ
What time does SRH vs DC start?
The 31st match of IPL 2026 begins at 7:30 pm local time (2:00 pm GMT) on 21 April at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Who is leading the run charts for Sunrisers Hyderabad?
Heinrich Klaasen has 283 runs this season, including three fifties, according to our preview data.
Should the toss winner bowl first?
Dew is expected in the second innings, so teams may prefer to bowl first and chase.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Travis Head
- Abhishek Sharma
- Ishan Kishan
- Heinrich Klaasen
- Salil Arora
- Aniket Verma
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Sakib Hussain
- Shivang Kumar
- Praful Hinge
- Eshan Malinga
Delhi Capitals
- Pathum Nissanka
- KL Rahul
- Sameer Rizvi
- Axar Patel
- David Miller
- Tristan Stubbs
- Auqib Nabi Dar
- Lungi Ngidi
- Kuldeep Yadav
- T Natarajan
- Mukesh Kumar