In a commanding display, Kolkata Knight Riders delivered a masterful performance with the ball following a remarkable exhibition of power-hitting by their batsmen, as they convincingly defeated a lackluster Delhi Capitals by a staggering 106 runs, propelling themselves to the summit of the IPL standings on Wednesday.
Sunil Narine exhibited his batting prowess with a scintillating 85 runs, while young sensation Angkrish Raghuvanshi impressed with a fluent half-century on his IPL batting debut, contributing 54 runs off just 27 deliveries. Their efforts propelled KKR to a formidable total of 272/7, falling just five runs short of the tournament's highest-ever score.
The Capitals appeared out of sorts throughout the match, struggling both with the ball and the bat, succumbing to the pressure of the imposing target set by KKR.
Despite skipper Rishabh Pant's valiant 55 runs and Tristan Stubbs' fifty, Delhi Capitals faltered and folded for 166 runs in 17.2 overs, suffering their third defeat of the season.
Narine continued his explosive form, punishing the Delhi bowlers with seven boundaries and seven sixes in his innings. His knock included a stroke-filled 39-ball stay, during which he reached his highest-ever T20 score. Raghuvanshi, too, showcased his talent with a blistering 54 off 27 balls, forming a destructive 104-run partnership with Narine.
With contributions from Andre Russell (41 off 19 balls) and Rinku Singh (26 off 8 balls), KKR's batting lineup made light work of the opposition.
In the bowling department, Vaibhav Arora and KKR's star acquisition, Mitchell Starc, wreaked havoc in the powerplay, dismantling Delhi's top order.
Pant and Stubbs fought back with a 93-run partnership, but the required run rate soared beyond reach, sealing the fate of the match.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals' bowlers endured a forgettable outing, conceding their highest-ever total in the franchise's history, as KKR amassed a whopping 18 sixes and 28 fours.
Narine, in particular, was ruthless against the Delhi bowlers, displaying a special liking for veteran pacer Ishant Sharma. His onslaught began early, with a flurry of boundaries in the powerplay setting the tone for KKR's dominant batting display.
Despite brief glimpses of resistance from Delhi, KKR's relentless boundary-hitting continued, leaving the Capitals struggling to contain the onslaught.
Though Narine and Raghuvanshi's dismissals provided a glimmer of hope for Delhi, Russell's onslaught dashed any hopes of a comeback, as he capitalized on the loose deliveries served by the Capitals' bowlers to steer KKR to a resounding victory.
Read also | IPL 2024: Brett Lee Applauds Two-Bouncer Rule for Empowering Fast-Bowlers
