Delhi Capitals produced an all-round performance to knock down table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders by 44 run for their second win of IPL 2022. Defending 215 at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday evening, Kuldeep Yadav put in a starring performance with the ball against his old side, taking 4/35 as KKR were bowled out for 171 in 19.4 overs.
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KKR started their chase of the massive target on a positive note with opener Venkatesh Iyer hitting two consecutive sixes in the second over. However, left-arm Khaleel Ahmed got rid of both KKR openers inside the Powerplay to dent their start.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana got together to put their team’s chase back on track. Shreyas went on to score 54 off 33 while Rana made 30 off 20.
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However, the dismissal of Rana in the 12th over triggered a collapse with Kuldeep running through KKR middle order. From 107/2, they slumped to 143/8 and never recovered.
Earlier, openers Prithvi Shaw and David Warner feasted on a quality bowling attack before DC overcame a scratchy middle-order show to reach a big 215/5. If Shaw-Warner added 93 to set the platform, Shardul Thakur (29 not out 11 balls) and Axar Patel (22 off 14 balls) added 49 in just 3.2 overs to finish the innings in style.
Warner (61 off 45 balls) and Shaw (51 off 29 balls) were facing one of the most lethal pace attacks of this edition but to their advantage it was perhaps the best batting track. There was a layer of green but it was more about holding the surface which had even bounce for anyone wishing to hit through the line. Umesh Yadav (1/48 in 4 overs) had his first bad outing in this IPL, while Warner also launched into Pat Cummins (0/51 in 4 overs) with two boundaries over cover as 50 came in four overs.
It’s a rarity to have 10 fours and two sixes being hit in the Powerplay as Shreyas Iyer looked clueless. Cummins was pulled for six by Shaw, while Warner slog swept Varun Chakravarthy (1/44 in 4 overs) over mid-wicket for a six. Sunil Narine (2/21) was reverse swept as both spinners were introduced within the Powerplay after pacers got severely punished first up. It was Chakravarthy, who breached Shaw’s defence to give his team first breakthrough but skipper Rishabh Pant (27 off 14 balls), promoting himself up the order, didn’t let the momentum slip away as he and Warner added 55 in just 4.1 overs.
Pant was audacious as usual, hitting those fallen reverse sweep off spinners and a straight six off Cummins. Warner completed his first half-century of this edition with a six off Andre Russell before Pant was dismissed by a slower bowled by the Jamaican all-rounder.
Once Pant was dismissed, warner’s shots lacked a bit of sting and Narine was very steady as he slowly brought DC back into the game, dismissing Lalit Yadav and Rovman Powell in quick succession. It was left to Axar and Shardul to show their batting prowess that helped DC reach a par score on this track.
With PTI Inputs
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