Narine was back to hitting big shots again as he scored 21 runs off 10 deliveries while Rana made 36 off 27.
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The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) recorded a comfortable victory by three wickets over the Delhi Capitals on Tuesday in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Capitals had made 127-9 in their 20 overs and KKR made 130-7 in 18.2 overs. There was a point in the run-chase when DC made the men in purple very uncomfortable but an incredible cameo from Sunil Narine ensured the Knight Riders were out of a troublesome situation. Nitish Rana scored the winning runs as he capped off an outstanding knock. The left-hander held his nerve and also helped his team out when they were in a spot of bother. For the Capitals, this was a result they certainly did not expect. The bowling display was quite good from Rishabh Pant’s men, but it was the batting that severely cost them on the day.
It was a relatively fast start to the run-chase by the men in purple. Openers Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill seemed to be in good form. Iyer, who was outstanding with the ball, could not contribute much as he was dismissed on 14. Gill stayed at the crease for quite a while but his scoring rate dropped. He made 30 runs off 33 deliveries. There was a point in the game when KKR had lost five wickets for 96 runs, and it seemed like the Capitals could churn out an unlikely victory. The likes of Rahul Tripathi, skipper Eoin Morgan, and Dinesh Karthik were dismissed quite cheaply.
However, the duo of Nitish Rana and Sunil Narine made sure that the men in purple got the two points. Narine was back to hitting big shots again as he scored 21 runs off 10 deliveries in a knock that comprised one boundary and two maximums. Nitish Rana also played a steady and fantastic knock as he scored 36 runs off just 27 deliveries. It was these two that ultimately ensured the points were KKR’s.
On an afternoon of disappointment, the one bright spot in the DC bowling unit was Avesh Khan. The youngster picked three wickets in his three overs and conceded only 13 runs. He has taken 18 wickets in the season so far. Kagiso Rabada picked one wicket but he was smashed around the park for 20 runs by Narine in one over. He ended up conceding 18 runs in three overs. Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Lalit Yadav picked one wicket each.
The Capitals’ batting display was abysmal, as none of the batters could get into a rhythm against an outstanding bowling performance. For the men in blue, Steve Smith and Shikhar Dhawan opened the innings, and while both scored in excess of 20, they were slow knocks. Dhawan scored 24 runs off 20 deliveries, while Smith got 39 off 34. Skipper Rishabh Pant got a good score as well, but he was simply too slow. He added 39 runs to the innings but took 36 deliveries. None of the Capitals’ other batters reached double figures, which will be a source of concern for the team moving forward.
The first innings, on the other hand, could not have been more perfect for KKR. Every bowler used by skipper Eoin Morgan performed admirably. Sunil Narine was unquestionably the best bowler, taking two wickets in four overs while conceding only 18 runs. Venkatesh Iyer, who started as a batter for the men in purple, also took two wickets and allowed 29 runs in four overs. Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee of New Zealand bowled well, with Ferguson taking two wickets and Southee taking one. Varun Chakravarthy’s spell was not among the wickets, but it was economical. Chakravarthy gave up 24 runs in four overs.
