The Eden Gardens in Kolkata erupted last night, April 29th, as the Knight Riders thrashed the Delhi Capitals by a convincing seven wickets. This dominant win keeps KKR’s playoff hopes alive and pushes them to the coveted fourth position in the points table
Delhi, who opted to bat first, was never really able to grip its hold from the beginning. The KKR spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakarvarthy weaved their magic yet again, exposing the flaws in the DC batting order. Openers Prithvi Shaw and David Warner were Narine’s early victories, both falling prey to his deceptive spin. Rishabh Pant, the DC skipper, tried to break the shackles but was dismissed by the fiery Andre Russell for just 28 runs. Only Rovman Powell (33) and Axar Patel (27) DC were able to put a score of 153 for 9 in their other 20 overs.
Chasing a modest target, KKR openers Phil Salt and Venkatesh Iyer took the DC bowling attack by storm. The left-handed Salt, in particular, was a force to be reckoned with. He launched a brutal assault on the DC bowlers, smashing boundaries at will. His knock of 68 for just 23 balls was a masterclass in clean hitting, with six fours and four sizes peppered across the innings. Iyer (33) played the perfect supporting role at the other end, and the pair added a quickfire 89-run stand for the first wicket before Salt was dismissed by Shardul Thakur.
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KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer (28*) and Nitish Rana (22*) ensured there were no further hiccups in the chase. They steered the team home comfortably with seven wickets and eight overs to spare. This victory keeps KKR’s playoff hopes alive, while DC finds themselves needing a strong comeback to secure a playoff spot.
The talk of the town last night was undoubtedly Phil Salt’s explosive knock at the top. While on the bowling side, KKR spinners were the heroes with the ball. Narine and Chakarwarthy shared six wickets between them, exploiting the weakness in the DC batting lineup.
With this convincing win, KKR has registered four victories in their last five matches. They seem to have found a winning combination, with their spinners and openers playing a crucial role. KKR will be looking to maintain this momentum in the upcoming matches as they strive for a playoff berth.
