Kolkata Knight Riders secured a convincing seven-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in their Indian Premier League encounter held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Monday. Delhi Capitals, opting to bat first, were restricted to 153/9 in 20 overs by KKR’s disciplined bowling attack. KKR comfortably chased down the target of 154 with 21 balls to spare.

DC openers Prithvi Shaw and Jake Fraser-McGurk failed to provide a strong start, and the middle order struggled as well. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s knock was a bright spot, but he lacked support from the rest of the batsmen.

During their batting innings, KKR sprinted to 79 without loss in the power play, with Phil Salt’s aggressive knock of 68 runs off 33 balls dismantling the DC bowling lineup. A crucial partnership between the experienced Shreyas Iyer and the explosive Andre Russell took KKR close to victory. While Russell fell short of a big score, fifties from Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer ensured KKR crossed the finish line comfortably with 3 balls to spare. 

Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, managed 67 runs in the power play but suffered three crucial wickets. The team faced a collapse after the departure of their captain, Rishabh Pant, who contributed 27 runs off 20 balls.

Lower down the order, spinner Kuldeep Yadav played a crucial role, adding an unbeaten 35 runs off 26 deliveries for Delhi Capitals. KKR’s bowlers put up an impressive show, with spinner Varun Chakaravarthy leading the charge with figures of 3/16 in four overs. Chakaravarthy’s bowling performance was well-deserved to earn him the Player of the Match award. Vaibhav Arora made a notable return, claiming a key wicket with an unplayable delivery that dismissed Shai Hope.

KKR’s comprehensive victory highlighted their all-round performance, both with the ball and the bat, while Delhi Capitals faced a setback, needing to reassess their strategy for future matches in the tournament. This win keeps KKR on the second spot in the IPL 2024 points table, while Delhi Capitals will look to bounce back in their upcoming matches.

Brief scores:

Delhi Capitals: 153/9 in 20 overs (Kuldeep Yadav 34 not out; Vaibhav Arora 3/16, Vaibhav Arora 2/29).

Kolkata Knight Riders: 157/3 in 16.3 overs (Phil Salt 68).