Delhi Capitals beat KKR by 44 runs at the Brabourne Stadium. DC had posted 215/5.
Kuldeep Yadav picked 4 wickets for Delhi.
Prithvi Shaw and David Warner scored fifties for DC.
Ace left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s brilliant form in IPL 2022 continues to give him plenty to smile about, and on Sunday, against KKR he finished with a four-wicket haul that was instrumental in Delhi Capitals registering a big 44-run win at the Brabourne Stadium. KKR were bowled out for 171.
While Kuldeep, a former KKR player, picked wickets at his end, Khaleel bagged 3, after half-centuries from Prithvi Shaw and David Warner, and few big hits from Shardul Thakur had helped set up the win for Delhi.
Batting first, in good conditions, Delhi Capitals got off to a rollicking start with Prithvi Shaw going great guns in the powerplay. Shaw took the majority of the strike with David Warner at the other side, and smashed the KKR bowlers all over the park.
Shaw’s attack had led DC to 50/0 after 4 overs, which is when Varun Chakravarthy came into the attack and Warner greeted him with a six. DC ended the powerplay with the score on 68/0, with both batters well set and enjoying the luxury of the smaller boundaries.
Shaw continued to attack after the powerplay too, taking on Venkatesh Iyer in the 8th over and picking of 14 runs, and getting his half century of 27 deliveries too. This was Shaw’s second consecutive fifty, and it was peppered with cuts, pulls and well-timed drives too.
Chakravarthy picked off Shaw for 51 in the 9th over, going through the defenses to knock over the woodwork, and Rishabh Pant joined Warner. Chakravarthy’s next over costed KKR 24 runs with Warner attacking him from the get go, and being aided by a couple of no-balls. Pant meanwhile at the other end, had also started off quickly.
Shardul Thakur on the attack
Image: BCCI
The two left-handers added 55 runs in quick time, hitting quite a few boundaries and sixes in the process. Pant though could not carry on after a 14-ball 27 and was caught by Umesh Yadav of the bowling of Andre Russell in the 13th over. Off the next over, Sunil Narine dismissed Lalit Yadav for 1, while Warner had completed his fifty, the first this season, and was hoping to finish strongly.
Rovman Powell and Warner took 10 off Chakravarthy’s final over before the right hander dismissed by Narine for 8, caught in the deep while trying to clear the ropes. Back came Umesh Yadav into the attack in the 17th over, and knocked over Warner for 61 from 45 deliveries, as KKR continued to peg back DC after their superb start.
After a few good overs for KKR, it was Shardul Thakur, who smashed Umesh for a couple of sixes to give his side the momentum on the home stretch. Axar joined in too with Umesh’s final over costing 23 runs.
Axar (22* of 14 balls) and Shardul (29* of 11 balls) eventually put on a stand of 49 of 20 balls, with the right hander finishing things off with a six of Pat Cummins, pushing the total to 215/5.
In response, KKR and Ajinkya Rahane had quite the eventful start with Mustafizur Rahman taking the first over. The left-arm pacer had a couple of appeals referred and both turned down in the first two deliveries of the innings as KKR looked for a bright start. Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer had their task cut out in a stiff chase.
Iyer was the more aggressive in a short 21-run stand, hitting two sixes and a four before Khaleel Ahmed had him caught by Axar Patel in the third over. A couple of overs later, Rahane was knocked over by Khaleel for 8 as KKR were in a spot of bother.
Shreyas Iyer after being dismissed against DC
Image: BCCI
Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana were tasked with steadying the ship, and the captain was scoring at good clip, as he led the charge. Rana however, was having a slightly tougher time in comparison, initially at least.
Iyer and Rana definitely steadied the ship and kept KKR in the hunt with a solid 69-run stand from 42 deliveries. Rana hit three sixes in a 20-ball knock of 30, and was dismissed looking to up the ante in the face of the pressure of the required run-rate. Lalit Yadav sent him back to the hut in the 12th and soon after Shreyas Iyer, who had completed his half-century, walked back to the hut as well.
Left arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Shreyas for 54 and continued to give himself more confidence as the season moves along. Wicket-keeper batter Sam Billings was the next in and had Andre Russell for company. The duo had to attack and Billings departed looking to exactly that, becoming Khaleel’s third wicket for the day.
Kuldeep Yadav celebrates a wicket against KKR
Image: BCCI
Pat Cummins, KKR’s hero in the last game, was trapped LBW for 4 by Kuldeep in the next over and then also added the scalp of Sunil Narine to his kitty. And of the final ball of his spell, Kuldeep had Umesh walking back for a first ball duck, after taking a superb running high catch to complete the caught and bowled. Kuldeep almost ran till the 30-yard circle to get the catch.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Russell wasn’t having any luck with the big hits and was almost caught by Pant, who missed a difficult high catch in the 18th over. KKR’s lower order could not do much in terms of supporting Russell, who also could not get going at his end and was dismissed in the final over by Shardul for 24. KKR were bowled out for 171 as the Capitals registered an emphatic win.
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