kolkata: Sunil Narine roared back to form as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their hopes alive for the top-four berth, defeating Delhi Capitals by 14 runs in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Having set the target of 204 for DC, they restricted the home side to190/ 9.
Though KKR remained in the seventh position with 9 points, wins in the next four games could see them through to the playoffs. For now, DC remain in the fourth position.
DC’s innings was a tale of their batters fighting it out against Narine. After Anukul Roy got the early breakthrough by sending back Abhishek Porel, Faf du Plessis threatened to take the match away from the Knights.
After DC lost Karun Nair and KL Rahul cheaply, du Plessis was joined by Axar Patel at the crease and they put on a 76-run partnership for the fourth wicket. When the duo was batting it looked like 203 was just a matter of time.
Sesing the danger, Narine came into the picture. In his first spell, he removed Axar. Narine went round the wicket and dug one like a fast bowler’s off-cutter, which Axar lofted to Harshit Rana at extra cover. Axar, who looked very dangerous for much of his 23-ball 43 knock studded with four boundaries and three sixes, was gone.
Du Plessis, who struck vintage form, bludgeoned 62 off 45 deliveries that had seven hits to the fence and two over it, was Narine’s next victim. A widish carom ball and a heave from Du Plessis saw him give a catch to Rinku Singh at midwicket. In between, he slipped a faster one to clean up Tristan Stubbs. These three wickets paved the way for KKR’s crucial win, with Narine at his frugal best. His four overs cost only 29 runs.
If Narine was on song, Varun Chakaravarthy was not to be left behind. In his last over he had
Ashutosh Sharma and Mitchell Starc for ducks off two successive deliveries. From 136/4, DC were tottering at 160/7. Andre Russell did the formalities by removing the dangerous Vipraj Nigam to pull the curtains
on DC’s chase.
Earlier, batting first, KKR openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Narine gave the Knights a rollicking start. Gurbaz showed glimpses of his talent as he sent the bowlers on a leather hunt. A quick-fire 26 studded with five boundaries and a six was spot on he had delivered before Starc had him foxed by a ball that cut sharply to give Porel a catch.
At 48/1 Narine was joined by skipper Ajinkya Rahane. The duo happily motored along at the cost of DC’s bowling. Then much against the run of the play, Narine was gone to one from Vipraj that remained low and straight.