42 runs came off the last three overs as Andre Russell helped Kolkata Knight Riders post a competitive total, following a fine performance by the Delhi Capitals bowlers.
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Delhi Capitals (DC) restricted Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a total of just 154 runs for the loss of six wickets, after winning the toss and opting to field. Spinners Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav made their presence felt, accounting for two wickets apiece. While Axar accounted for the dismissals of Nitish Rana and Dinesh Karthik, Lalit sent back skipper Eoin Morgan and Sunil Narine in the same over. Morgan and Narine were dismissed for ducks, with the poor performance of the duo leaving the KKR batting department in a state of despair.
It might well have been a total way lesser than 154, if not for a fantastic performance by Windies all-rounder Andre Russell. Russell was the highest run-scorer for the Kolkata-based franchise. The 33-year-old smashed 45 runs off 27 deliveries, in an innings comprising of two boundaries and four sixes. The Windies cricketer further completed 6,000 runs in the shortest format during this knock, emerging as the fastest player to record the milestone in terms of balls taken. Today is Russell’s birthday and his performance was certainly the perfect celebration of his capabilities. The 33-year-old is the second player to score 6,000 T20 runs and pick 300 wickets after fellow all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
Shubman Gill was the second-highest run-scorer for the Kolkata-based franchise, with 43 runs off 38 deliveries. Shubman is well-known for his ability to smack the ball to all corners of the ground. However, he seemed to be quite nervous during this innings comprising of three boundaries and a six.
Avesh Khan and Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis chipped in with a wicket apiece. Avesh accounted for the key dismissal of Shubman, with Stoinis dismissing Rahul Tripathi. Steve Smith recorded 50 catches in the IPL during the course of the first innings, after completing fine catches to register the dismissals of Shubman and Morgan.
KKR have recorded the highest percentage of dot balls in IPL 2021, after the Punjab Kings (PBKS) so far. While PBKS have a dot-ball percentage of 41.9, the Kolkata-based franchise has registered a tally of 41.2 percent. SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are placed on the third and fourth spots respectively, with percentages of 39.9 and 39.2 respectively. All these teams are struggling to make much of an impact, which makes this data all the more relevant.
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