Windies all-rounder Narine (3-29) picks crucial DC wickets to fashion come-from-behind 14-run win for champions; Delhi Capitals fall short despite opener Faf du Plessis (45-ball 62) and skipper Axar Patel’s (23-ball 43) batting efforts
DC’s Tristan Stubbs is clean bowled by KKR’s Sunil Narine; (right) Narine celebrates a DC wicket with stumper Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Pics/PTI
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders bounced back brilliantly, thanks to Sunil Narine’s 3-29, to beat Delhi Capitals by 14 runs in an Indian Premier League match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday night.
Just when DC opener Faf du Plessis (45-ball 62) seemed to be making light work of their 205-run chase, Narine effected his dismissal.
Narine also accounted for another big DC wicket by sending back their skipper Axar Patel, who was batting well on 43 off 23.
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Narine then had Tristan Stubbs (one) clean bowled, for his third wicket, after which DC capitulated under pressure to finish on 190-9 in their 20 overs. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy picked up 2-22 for KKR.
Earlier, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh stitched up a fine partnership of 61 for the fifth wicket to help KKR post 204-9. Initially watchful, the duo later picked up pace with Raghuvanshi scoring a 32-ball 44 while Rinku struck 36 off 25 balls.
The final two overs of the innings had it all. After pacer Dushmantha Chameera conceded 14 runs in the penultimate over, the final over by Mitchell Starc was even more dramatic. The Australian quick’s first ball was dispatched for a six, before he went on to pick up the wickets of Rovman Powell and Anukul Roy, while Andre Russell was run-out off the penultimate delivery of the innings.
It was a must-win game for DC having lost two of their previous four, but they got it wrong by electing to bowl first after winning the toss. They went in with the same team as their previous match here while KKR made one change — bringing in all rounder Anukul Roy for batter Ramandeep Singh. At the toss, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane was spot-on when he said that it was hard to read the wicket.
Brief scores
KKR 204-9 in 20 overs (A Raghuvanshi 44, R Singh 36; M Starc 3-43, A Patel 2-27, V Nigam 2-47) beat DC 190-9 in 20 overs (F du Plessis 62, A Patel 43; S Narine 3-29, V Chakravarthy2-39) by 14 runs
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