Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has made a strong comeback after suffering a demoralizing loss against RCB as they defeated the Delhi Capitals (DC) by 59 runs which also to get a massive kick to their net run-rate. With their sixth win, KKR has managed to retain its fourth-place owing to some brilliant performances of Nitish Rana, Varuna Chakravarthy, and Sunil Narine. Chakravarthy and Pat Cummins joined hands to leave the Capitals reeling in the steep chase.
Earlier, KKR managed to register a huge score owing to flamboyant half-centuries from Rana and Narine as they smashed the DC bowlers all-over the park in trying circumstances for the team as they were reeling at 42/3 in the 8th over of the innings. At this stage, nothing was going the KKR way, but, Rana was looking determined and he started smashing the DC bowlers along with Narine. The latter first took on Tushar Deshpande followed by Ravi Ashwin.
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While Narine was at his brutal best smacking sixes and fours at will, Rana was timing the ball brilliantly and they added 115 runs for the fourth wicket stand in just 56 deliveries. DC skipper Shreyas Iyer didn’t bring back his wicket-taker Kagiso Rabada, who eventually broke the partnership in the 17th over. Ranae was dismissed by Marcus Stoinis in the final over after smashing 81 runs off 53 balls with 13 fours and a six. KKR ended the innings on 194/6 after 20 overs.
The 195-run chase required a good start but, Pat Cummins dismissed Ajinkya Rahane on a golden duck followed by Shikhar Dhawan was also castled in the next over by the same bowler, and hence, DC was reeling at 13/2, the Capitals were already way behind.
Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant stitched a decent partnership, but the required rate kept on increasing, and the partnership was eventually broken at the score of 63 and then, it was all one-way traffic. Rishabh Pant struggled for his 27 and took 33 deliveries to score those runs and eventually threw his wicket away in quest of quick runs. Varun Chakravarthy then ran through the Capitals’ middle-order.
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The spinner bowled extremely well enticing the batsmen with his flighted deliveries and all of them got out to him one after the other. DC collapsed from being 76/2 to 112/7 in a matter of 3.3 overs and the result of the game was only formality then. Chakravarthy registered the best figures of IPL 2020 with his 5/20 while Cummins ended with an economical spell apart from three wickets as the Capitals ended scoring only 135 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.
Here is how Twitter reacted to KKR’s win:
Top spell today, #VarunChakravarthy 👏👏👏#KKRvDC #YehHaiNayiDilli #Dream11IPL
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) October 24, 2020
I have seen some huge turnarounds but few as dramatic as this one.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 24, 2020
Confidence booster win for #kkr #sunilnarine #nitishrana #VarunChakravarthy
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 24, 2020
Varun Chakravarty has been such a revelation in #IPL2020 has bowled crucial overs…picked up Big wickets. 5 wickets already….might pick up one more. 👏👏
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 24, 2020
Brilliant bowling by #VarunChakravarthy, a fiver in t20 is a massive milestone! Congrats to @KKRiders for a brilliant victory over @DelhiCapitals ! #KKRvsDC #IPL
— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) October 24, 2020
.@KKRiders look like such a different side when Narine comes back into the XI. Big win, whereas now @DelhiCapitals back to back losses, with still #SRH, #MI & #RCB to play 😬
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) October 24, 2020
Sensational stuff!! #VarunChakravarthy unbelievable bowling, 5 wickets in @IPL. Best bowling figure in this #IPL2020 @KKRiders #KKRvDC
— Vinay Kumar R (@Vinay_Kumar_R) October 24, 2020
Big win tonight for #KKR going forward . Rana, Naraine n the man Of the moment Varun have done it for #KKR. Total dominance. Tough game for #DC #IPL2020 #KKRvsDC
— Mithun V Manhas (@MithunManhas) October 24, 2020
Loved d control over his knuckle and wrong ones. Big congratulations to #VarunChakravarthy for getting a fifer today. Outstanding milestone on MahaAsthami day. Big win this for @kkr goin ahead 🤙 #KKRvsDC #IPL
— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) October 24, 2020
Rishabh Pant first 20 balls faced in IPL.
2017 – SR 161
2018 – SR 155
2019 – SR 1472020 – SR 122
His average though in the first 20 balls is the highest ever. Fewest times dismissed in 2020. Easy for DC to see where the problem lies with Pant. It’s all about intent! #DCvKKR
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 24, 2020