It was a thrilling match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders at Sharjah Cricket Stadium as the latter came from behind to win by 3 wickets. KKR was chasing 128 and were teetering at 96-6 before Sunil Narine came and smashed 21 runs in the 6th over off Kagiso Rabada. Narine got out when the team still needed six runs for victory. However, Nitish Rana ensured that they got it with 10 balls to spare. Overall, it was a nail-biting match and has given hopes to the KKR dugout. The victory now means that they are in contention for a playoff spot. Join us as we recap this IPL clash!
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Delhi Remains Well-Placed in Second Position of the Points Table
While the defeat hurts DC a lot because this has snatched them the chance to be at the top of the points table, they are well-placed in the second spot with a guaranteed playoff seat. KKR, on the other hand, secured a much-needed victory as it has kept their playoff hopes alive.
Batting first, Delhi Capitals made a decent 127-9 in their 20 overs. Captain Rishabh Pant made a fighting 39 runs before he departed. Returning Steve Smith also contributed to the team total with 39 runs. Except for these two, Delhi players failed to take the team to a challenging total. Narine bowled brilliantly for KKR. In his four overs, he only conceded 18 runs and took 2 crucial wickets of Shreyas Iyer and Lalit Yadav. Lockie Ferguson also balled exceptionally, taking two wickets in his two overs and conceding only ten runs.
However, KKR also had a shaky start as they lost their five wickets in quick successions. At one point, KKR were 95-6 in the 15th over and still a long way to go. Sunil Narine came and blasted Kagiso Rabada for 21 runs, keeping the hopes alive. He smashed 2 sixes and a four in his innings of 21 off 10 balls. He was supported by the innings of Nitish Rana and Shubhman Gill, who scored 36 not out and 30 respectively.
For Delhi Capitals, Avesh Khan balled brilliantly. He took 3 wickets in his three overs for just 13 runs. Lalit Yadav was a bit expensive as he was smashed for 35 runs in his three overs. Sunil Narine was awarded the Man of the Match for his all-round performance.
IPL Match List 2021 for KKR
>It is still a long way to go for Kolkata Knight Riders to qualify for the playoffs. There are still three matches left in the group stage. Their performance will determine whether they will advance to the playoffs or not. As far as playoffs are concerned, KKR need to win every single of the remaining matches.Their next encounters include:
- KKR vs Punjab Kings – Dubai
- KKR vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – Dubai
- KKR vs Rajasthan Royals – Sharjah