Kolkata Knight Riders secure a commanding 106-run win over Delhi Capitals away from home on the back of an all round performance by Sunil Narine.
Kolkata Knight Riders secured a resounding 106-run triumph over Delhi Capitals, marking the latter's third defeat this season. Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Impact Substitute Vaibhav Arora deserve commendation for their exceptional display of 'total cricket'.
KKR HAS WON FIRST 3 GAMES OF AN IPL SEASON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY. 🤯
- Gambhir & Iyer bringing Glory days to KKR. pic.twitter.com/KkZaPoh7i8
In pursuit of an imposing and record-breaking target of 273, Delhi Capitals struggled under the weight of scoreboard pressure. Mitchell Starc and Arora orchestrated the dismissal of DC’s top four - Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Impact Sub Abishek Porel - within the initial six overs. Despite valiant half-centuries from DC skipper Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs, the outcome seemed inevitable. The hosts lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 166 in 17.2 overs. The task always appeared daunting for DC, with Arora and Chakaravarthy leading KKR's bowling attack with three wickets each, while Mitchell Starc claimed two.
Earlier, electing to bat, KKR got off to a flying start with openers Sunil Narine and Phil Salt exhibiting aggressive strokeplay. Although Salt departed within the powerplay, Narine's explosive innings left DC rueing missed opportunities. The West Indian batsman blazed to a half-century off just 21 balls, supported by the youthful Raghuvanshi, who showcased remarkable strokeplay en route to his own fifty. Despite the quick dismissals of both batsmen, KKR's onslaught continued. Andre Russell, elevated in the batting order, amassed runs quickly with a blistering 41 off 19 balls. Rinku Singh then added a rapid 26 from only 8 deliveries as KKR posted 272 - the IPL's second-highest team total. Anrich Nortje led DC's bowling effort with a three-wicket haul, while Ishant Sharma claimed two scalps. DC's collapse severely impacted their Net Run Rate (NRR).
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