Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) put in a good all-round performance to earn a seven-wicket win over the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Eden Gardens. KKR’s bowlers did well to restrict DC to 154 and then chased it down comfortably thanks to an aggressive opening partnership.
DC won the toss and chose to bat first – in hope of putting up a big score on the board on a pitch that has famously produced high totals this season. To start off, Prithvi Shaw hit the first three legal deliveries of the match for fours. The first ball from Mitchell Starc was cover driven in typical style, the second ball went through the leg-side and the third was punched down the track. However, DC could not capitalise on that start as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Shaw trickled one down the leg off Vaibhav Arora in the second over and was caught by the wicketkeeper. Jake Fraser-McGurk promised to live-up to his reputation by smashing Starc over long-on for a six and then hitting a four through the off-side. He lost his wicket as he tried to go over the leg-side but found Venkatesh Iyer at deep square-leg, where he took a great catch diving forward.
Venkatesh Iyer plucks a fine low catch & @KKRiders get the dangerous Jake Fraser-McGurk early ?#DC three down now inside the powerplay!
Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia ??#TATAIPL | #KKRvDC pic.twitter.com/84HRetp0ZM
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2024
Arora got another breakthrough soon after when he castled Shai Hope with a beautiful delivery to reduce DC to 37 for three inside four overs. Rishabh Pant and Abhishek Porel set about the task of trying to stabilise the innings. Pant, in particular, was trying to be attacking and attempted to play a few scoop shots during his innings of 27.
KKR kept pegging DC back with wickets at regular intervals. Harshit Rana got through Porel when the score was 68. In the middle overs, Varun Chakaravarthy’s spin bowling created numerous problems for DC even as Pant and Axar Patel tried to keep the attacking momentum. Pant had survived an opportunity early in Chakaravarthy’s spell. However, he then top-edged one and was caught by Shreyas Iyer on the off-side. Soon after, Tristan Stubbs joined his captain in the dressing room when he edged one into Phil Salt’s gloves off Chakaravarthy.
Sunil Narine chipped in with the wicket of Axar, bowling him for 15. Chakaravarthy got his third wicket when he had Kumar Kushagra caught behind. At 111 for eight in the 15th over, DC were in danger of being bowled out quickly. It required some rearguard action led by Kuldeep Yadav to take DC past 150. Kuldeep got his highest Tata IPL score of 35 – which featured five fours and a six.
DC’s recovery was a good one as it gave their bowlers something to bowl at. However, the way Salt started batting, it threw DC off course and put KKR firmly in command of the game. At the other end, Narine was a spectator as he got 15 in that partnership with three boundaries. It was Salt’s match all along.
Phil Salt on song here at the Eden Gardens ?@KKRiders have already reached 40/0 in the chase ⚡️⚡️
Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema ??#TATAIPL | #KKRvDC pic.twitter.com/fAQiG2rRwf
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2024
Salt was brutal in the powerplay and carted the bowling to all parts. The very first over bowled by Lizaad Williams was taken apart for 23 runs. Salt was given a life in the next over when a catch was dropped. Salt was targeting all areas of the ground and hitting through the line. He sped away to his fifty off only 26 balls with a six off Khaleel Ahmed in the sixth over and followed it up with two more boundaries.
KKR ended the Powerplay at 79 for no loss with the match firmly in their grasp. Axar got rid of Salt for an explosive 68 off 33 balls when he bowled him in the ninth over. KKR suffered a mini-stutter as Rinku Singh, who was promoted to No. 3, as he lost his wicket in the very next over for 11.
An arm-ball to end an entertaining opening act!
Axar Patel gets Phil Salt ⚡️
Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema ??#TATAIPL | #KKRvDC | @akshar2026 pic.twitter.com/7x7QJ9nGBJ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2024
KKR were 55 runs away from victory. Venkatesh and Shreyas took on the responsibility and ensured KKR got home. It was on the back of the opening stand as KKR never had any problems to get there.
What a way to wrap up a solid all-round show ?
A commanding performance by Kolkata Knight Riders at home ?
And that win helps them consolidate their position in the points table ?
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/eTZRkma6UM#TATAIPL | #KKRvDC | @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/FFBYyylTKU
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2024
The target was achieved in the 17th over when Venkatesh hit a six over cover. The home crowd celebrated a welcome win.
