Sunil Narine’s all-round show powers them to a 14-run win over Delhi Capitals
New Delhi: Veteran off-spinner Sunil Narine snapped up three crucial wickets in the space of seven balls to help Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Capitals by 14 runs and keep their playoff hopes alive in the IPL here on Tuesday.
Sent in to bat, KKR, who came into the game with three losses in their last five matches, managed to post 204 for nine, riding on a blazing start by their top-order batters.
Chasing the total, DC were 62 for 3 in seven overs, but Faf du Plessis (62) and Axar Patel (43) kept them in the hunt with a 76-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
However, Narine (3/29) picked up three key wickets at a crucial juncture to derail DC’s chase, as the hosts were restricted to 190 for nine in their 20 overs to succumb to their third loss in four home games at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
With this win, defending champions KKR reignited their playoff hopes, though they remained at the seventh spot with nine points. DC stayed in the top four with 12 points.
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s decision to bring in Anukul Roy paid early dividends as the spinner removed Abhishek Porel (4), followed by Vaibhav Arora trapping Karun Nair (15) and a sharp direct hit from Narine sending KL Rahul (7) back. This left DC at 62/3 after seven overs.
Axar, returning after a brief injury scare, and du Plessis revived DC’s hopes with a brisk 76-run stand off 42 balls. Du Plessis smashed a 31-ball fifty while Axar hammered three sixes and four boundaries in a 23-ball 43. But Narine’s comeback over in the 14th shifted the momentum, removing both Axar and Tristan Stubbs (1) before dismissing du Plessis in his next.
With 59 needed off the last five overs, Ashutosh Sharma cleared long-off for six but Chakravarthy dealt a double blow, removing Ashutosh and Mitchell Starc in the same over. Vipraj Nigam fought valiantly with two sixes and three boundaries, but the target proved too steep.
Earlier, Narine (27) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (26) gave KKR their best opening stand of the season, adding 48 off 17 balls. Rahane’s fluent 26 kept the momentum going as KKR raced to 79/1 in the powerplay. But Axar and Vipraj struck in tandem, removing key batters to peg KKR back.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44) and Rinku Singh (36) added 61 off 46 balls to steady the innings, before Russell’s late burst ensured KKR crossed 200 despite a dramatic final over from Starc.
