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Kuldeep Yadav-inspired Delhi Capitals (DC) register a comprehensive win by four wickets over Shreyas Iyer-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Wankhede Stadium. Kuldeep’s best bowling figures wrecked KKR’s middle order which led to a mediocre total in the first innings which was chased down by DC with six balls to spare. KKR’s bad run in the tournament continued as it is their fifth consecutive loss in the season.
Quick wickets
Chasing 147, DC were stunned off the first ball bowled by Umesh Yadav. In-form opener Prithvi Shaw played it back to Umesh and got out for a golden duck. Mitchell Marsh got a couple of boundaries and looked in good touch but a flick off debutant Harshit Rana landed straight into Venkatesh Iyer's hands. In the second over, DC were reduced to 17/2.
Warner-Lalit partnership & quick wickets
Batting ahead of skipper Rishabh Pant, Lalit Yadav provided support to David Warner but played too many dot deliveries. Warner kept DC over the required run rate with timely boundaries. Warner scored 42 runs from 26 balls including eight fours. Umesh came back into the attack and got the breakthrough. Warner and Lalit shared a 65-run partnership.
In the next over, Sunil Narine trapped Lalit in front of the stumps. He scored 22 runs from 29 deliveries. Pant did not play the captain's knock with required run rate under control. Umesh got rid of him off the next delivery.
Axar targets Russell
When Axar Patel walked in to bat, DC were 84/5. They needed 63 runs to win from 47 deliveries. While Rovman Powell took his time, Axar launched a counter-attack. The left-handed batter targetted Andre Russell's first over by hitting him for a four and a six off the first two deliveries. Axar could not carry on and got run out in the same over. He contributed with a crucial 17-ball 24.
Powell finishes it off
After Axar’s wicket, Powell was cautious against Narine in the latter’s last over. DC needed 30 runs from 24 deliveries. After Russell’s expensive over, Shreyas was forced to introduce Venkatesh Iyer into the attack. The West Indies batter was waiting for the over and scored 14 runs from the over to get the equation in DC’s favour.
He hit a six off Tim Southee as well. Shreyas took it upon himself to bowl the penultimate over and bowled a few dot deliveries to Shardul Thakur. But Powell decided not to take the game into the final over and finished the run chase with a maximum. He remained unbeaten for 33 off 16 deliveries including one four and three sixes.
Slow powerplay overs
KKR made three changes to their squad. Bringing back Aaron Finch to the side and promoting Venkatesh Iyer as opener did not work. Finch was dismissed by Chetan Sakariya, who made his debut for Capitals in place of an injured Khaleel Ahmed.
Venkatesh did not just struggle to score boundaries but rotate strike as well. In the fifth over, Axar got his wicket. Both openers returned to the pavillion for single-digit scores in the powerplay overs. During the fielding restrictions, KKR managed to score just 29 runs.
Kuldeep’s dominance
On-debut Baba Aprajith did not impress as his plan to attack Kuldeep off the first ball he faced backfired. Indrajith got out after scoring just six runs. Kuldeep struck again and got the wicket of Sunil Narine off the next ball he bowled.
Shreyas and Nitish Rana got the innings back on track and laid the foundation for a fighting total. But Kuldeep struck again. Pant took an excellent catch to send Shreyas back to the pavillion. The KKR skipper scored 42 runs from 27 deliveries. In the same over, he setup Russel beautifully to get him stumped out for a three-ball duck.
Rana-Rinku’s fightback
Reduced to 83/6, Rinku Singh joined Rana in the middle. Rinku played the perfect role till the last over. On the other end, Rana completed his half-century with a six off Shardul Thakur in the penultimate over. KKR looked like they will finish with a bang but Mustafizur Rahman bowled a sensational last over. They shared the second-highest partnership for KKR for seventh wicket.
Too much Fizz!
Mustafizur got the wicket of Rinku off the second ball. He scored 23 runs from 16 deliveries. Off the fourth ball, he got the wicket of Rana as Sakariya took an excellent catch diving forward. Rana scored 57 runs from 34 deliveries which included three fours and four sixes. The left-arm pacer followed it up with a brilliant yorker which uprooted Southee's stump. The three wickets did not let KKR finish with a flourish as they were restricted to 146/9.
