Delhi Capitals (DC) have registered their third win by beating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 18 runs. With this, Delhi has now reached the top of the points table with 6 points. While batting first here, Delhi gave Kolkata a huge target of 229 runs, in which KKR could score 210 runs. For KKR, apart from Nitish Rana (58), Eoin Morgan (44) played quick innings but could not help his team to win the match.
Rahul Tripathi and Eoin Morng Raised Hope
Kolkata had lost 6 wickets for 123 runs. Rahul Tripathi and Eoin Morgan were on the field now. Both batsmen scored 77 runs in the next 30 balls to reach KKR’s score of 200. But on this score, Eoin Morgan (44), who was playing a brilliant inning, was dismissed. In his 18-ball innings, Morgan with the help of 1 four and 5 sixes. At the other end, Rahul Tripathi also supported him. He scored 36 runs in his 16-ball innings with the help of 3 fours and 3 sixes. However, in the 20th over, he was bowled by Stoinis’ and KKR’s hopes of winning the match were washed.
Massive Target of 229 and Poor Start of KKR
The Kolkata Knight Riders team had to face a huge challenge here. Kolkata hoped his opening batsman Sunil Narine will give them momentous start today. But Narine failed in his fourth match of the season. Nortje bowled him for the first blow with an individual score of 3 runs. KKR will now have to think about Sunil Narine’s performance. Narine has proved to be a flop in all four innings so far.
Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill Brought Momentum to KKR
Nitish Rana came to the crease after KKR losing the first wicket early and played with Shubman Gill in a brilliant style. Both batsmen added 59 runs by the end of the Powerplay. But after the powerplay, Shubman Gill (29 runs) was dismissed by the ball of Amit Mishra. Rishabh Pant caught his easy catch.
Andre Russell Failed to Impress
KKR had deployed their powerful batsman Andre Russell at number 4 for the purpose of some big hits. But Russell was only able to score 13 runs here. He was hunted by Kagiso Rabada. After Russell, Nitish Rana, who was batting brilliantly, caught Akshar Patel (Substitute) in an attempt to hit a long shot of Harshal Patel’s ball. Rana hits four fours and four sixes in this 35-ball innings. This was KKR’s fourth wicket at 117. But on the next ball of Harshal, captain Dinesh Karthik also gave a catch to Shikhar Dhawan and further harden KKR situation.
In the end, Eoin Morgan and Rahul Tripathi made 73 runs in 30 balls to bring KKR back into the match. But both batsmen lost their wickets in an attempt to maintain the required run rate and KKR lost the game by 10 runs.
Pant and Dhawan Shines Again
Apart from these two, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant (38) and Shikhar Dhawan (26) scored superb runs. For KKR, only Andre Russell has the lowest economy rate, Russell in his 4 overs, taking 2 wickets for 29 runs.
The pair of Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan added 56 runs for the first wicket. After this, Shikhar lost his wicket on the ball of Varun Chakraborty, then he was joined by Captain Iyer, who shared a 73-run partnership for the second wicket. Here, Prithvi Shaw was dismissed by Kamlesh Nagerkoti on an individual score of 66. Shaw hits 4 fours and 4 sixes in his 41-ball innings.
Captain Iyer also scored an unbeaten 88 off 38 balls, in which he hit 7 fours and 6 sixes. Apart from him, Rishab Pant contributed useful 38 runs in 17 balls, which included 5 fours and a six.
Man of the Match
Captain Shreyas Iyer awarded with Man of the Match for Match 16 for his stupendous knock of 88* off 38 deliveries.
Playing XI
Delhi Capitals
P Shaw, S Dhawan, S Iyer (c), R Pant (wk), S Hetmyer, M Stoinis, R Ashwin, K Rabada, A Nortje, A Mishra, H Patel
Kolkata Knight Riders
S Gill, S Narine, N Rana, D Karthik (wk & c), R Tripathi, E Morgan, A Russell, P Cummins, S Mavi, K Nagarkoti, V Chakravarthy