The Prague Post - Cummins heroics in vain as rain forces Hyderabad out of IPL playoff race

Hyderabad restricted Delhi to 133-7 in 20 overs, but rain fell ahead of the chase and after about one hour and 45 minutes the officials decided to share one point each between the two teams.

Rain stopped after more than 70 minutes but the ground remained covered with puddles of water and Cummins and Delhi skipper Axar Patel shook hands.

Last year's runners-up Hyderabad with seven defeats, three wins and one no result fell out of the playoffs contention along with Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

Delhi in fifth place keep their dream alive of winning their first-ever IPL title.

The top four teams at the end of the league stage will move into the playoffs.

Australia's Cummins struck on the first ball of the match and had the opposition reeling at 62-6, before Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs put on 66 runs for the seventh wicket.

Cummins elected to field first and took a wicket in each of his first three overs to send back Karun Nair for a first-ball duck, Faf du Plessis (three) and Abishek Porel (eight).

Harshal Patel dismissed Axar, and KL Rahul fell to Jaydev Unadkat in a dominant bowling performance by Hyderabad.

Stubbs and impact substitute Ashutosh both scored 41 each to check Delhi's slide.

Ashutosh took on the attack in his 26-ball knock, laced with two fours and three sixes, before falling to Sri Lankan Eshan Malinga in the final over.

South Africa's Stubbs finished off the innings with his fourth boundary but rain had the final say.

It was the second match of the current IPL season to be called off due to rain.

F.Vit--TPP