Kolkata: In a thrilling display of cricket, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fortified their second-place standing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a decisive seven-wicket victory against the Delhi Capitals. The match, held in Kolkata on Monday, saw KKR chase down a target of 154 runs set by the Capitals, achieving the win comfortably with 157 runs for three wickets in just 16.3 overs.
The chase was spearheaded by opener Phil Salt’s explosive batting, as he hammered a rapid 68 runs off 33 balls, including five sixes and seven fours. Salt’s aggressive play was complemented by a solid opening partnership of 79 runs with Sunil Narayan, who contributed 15 runs. The innings were further stabilized by KKR captain Shreyas Iyer, who remained not out at 33, and Venkatesh Iyer, who also stayed unbeaten at 26, forming a crucial 57-run partnership for the fourth wicket that carried the team across the finish line.
KKR’s triumph was built on the back of a stellar bowling performance, particularly from Varun Chakraborty, who led the attack with three wickets for just 16 runs. He was well-supported by Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora, who took two wickets each, restricting the Capitals to a modest total of 153 runs for nine wickets. For the Capitals, Kuldeep Yadav emerged as the top scorer with an undefeated 35 runs, while captain Rishabh Pant managed 27 runs.
The Knight Riders’ pursuit began with a bang as Salt struck a boundary off the very first ball from Lizard Williams. He continued his onslaught, hitting a six and a four in the same over. Narayan, too, got off the mark with a boundary. Salt had a close call when Williams dropped his catch in the following over, but he capitalized on the reprieve, smashing two more sixes in Williams’ next over. Narayan and Salt brought up the team’s half-century in style, with Narayan hitting two consecutive fours off Rasik Salaam. Salt reached his fifty in just 26 balls with a six off Khalil Ahmed, propelling KKR to 79 runs in the powerplay without loss.
The partnership was eventually disrupted by Akshar Patel, who claimed Narayan’s wicket. Salt continued his assault with a six off Kuldeep Yadav, but his innings was cut short by Patel. Following Salt’s dismissal, Rinku Singh contributed 11 runs before being caught, but by then, KKR had already surpassed the 100-run mark.
The innings were then taken forward by Shreyas and Venkatesh Iyer, who maintained the momentum. Shreyas struck two boundaries off Patel, while Venkatesh found the fence against Kuldeep and Rasik. With just 20 runs needed in the final six overs, the pair guided KKR to victory with ease.
Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat, the Capitals had a rocky start. Prithvi Shaw managed 13 runs before being caught by Salt, and Jake Fraser-McGurk’s brief cameo of 12 runs ended when he was caught by Venkatesh Iyer. Shai Hope and Abhishek Porel added quick runs, but the Capitals struggled to build significant partnerships, ultimately setting a target that proved to be within easy reach for the Knight Riders.
This win has propelled KKR to 12 points from six victories in nine matches, solidifying their position just behind the league leaders. The Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, find themselves in sixth place with 10 points from 11 matches. The match was a testament to KKR’s balanced team performance and strategic prowess, setting them up as formidable contenders for the IPL title.
