The 47th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, played between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, saw KKR emerge victorious by a convincing margin of seven wickets.
DC won the toss and elected to bat first. However, their innings faltered from the outset. Their top order, including Jake Fraser-McGurk (12 off 7), Prithvi Shaw (13 off 7), Shai Hope (6 off 3), and Abhishek Porel (18 off 15), were dismissed cheaply. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine wreaked havoc on the visitor’s batting line-up, claiming crucial wickets of the in-form Rishabh Pant (27 off 20), Tristan Stubbs (4 off 7), Kumar Kushagra (1 off 3), and Axar Patel (15 off 21). Kuldeep Yadav‘s unbeaten knock of 35 off 26 balls provided some late resistance, helping the visiting team reach a total of 153/9.
The Knight Riders’ chase began explosively. Openers Philip Salt (68 off 33) and Narine (15 off 10) launched a brutal assault on the visitor’s bowling, putting up a 79-run partnership within the powerplay overs and effectively taking the game away from the opposition. Although Axar provided a brief fightback by dismissing both openers, Shreyas Iyer (33* off 23) and Venkatesh Iyer (26* off 23) ensured there were no further hiccups. The duo stitched together a 57-run partnership, guiding KKR comfortably home with seven wickets in hand.
Varun Chakaravarthy was adjudged the Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling spell, claiming three wickets for just 16 runs.
This win strengthens KKR’s position in the league table. They now have six wins from nine games, while DC remains in sixth place with five wins from 11 games played.
Scorecard:
Delhi Capitals: 153-9, Overs 20, Kuldeep Yadav 35*, Varun Chakaravarthy 3/16
Kolkata Knight Riders: 157-3, Overs 16.3, Philip Salt 68, Axar Patel 2/25