IPL 2024, DC vs KKR: Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi smother hapless Delhi Capitals into oblivion; KKR jump to top spot. Top Takeaways for DC and KKR from the match.
Brief Scores: KKR 272/7 (Narine 85, Raghuvansh 54, Nortje 3/59) beat DC 166 (Pant 55, Stubbs 54, Arora 3/27) by 106 runs.
Player of the Match: Sunil Narine (85 off 39 and 1/29)
In what was the Delhi Capitals' last home game of the season at Visakhapatnam, they took on the visiting Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR completely outplayed the hosts by 106 runs.
Shreyas Iyer-led KKR posted a huge score of 272/7, helped by whirlwind half-centuries from Sunil Narine and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
The target was already too steep, and Delhi lost early wickets, making it even more difficult to avoid a certain defeat.
Read More: IPL 2024, DC vs CSK: Mukesh seals it at the death, after DC's top-order smashes predictable CSK
Key Takeaways from DC vs KKR, Match 16, IPL 2024- Winning team (KKR)
Sunil Narine, Angkrish blow Delhi away
Kolkata Knight Riders, opting to bat first, made the best use of the batting conditions by completely demoralizing the home team by accumulating 272 in their stimulated overs
Fresh from a man-of-the-match performance against RCB, Sunil Narine produced another stunning innings at the top of the order. The strategy of sending him at the top of the order and asking him to go on an assault with literally nothing to lose is paying off for the KKR this season. Well, of course, it was the same plan that mentor Gautam Gambhir employed when he was a coach.
His partner in crime was the youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who played a scintillating and entertaining knock on his IPL batting debut. With Narine, he accessed all parts of the ground, adding 104 for the second wicket in just 48 deliveries. Their partnership all but shattered Delhi’s hopes of returning to the contest.
Key Takeaways from DC vs KKR, Match 16, IPL 2024- Losing team (DC)
DC needs a solid 5th and 6th bowling option in Kuldeep’s absence
The Delhi Capitals bowling attack was found wanting on what was a peaceful and a belter of a surface at Vizag. They went into the game with just 5 proper bowlers in the absence of Kuldeep Yadav.
Their supposedly fifth bowler, Axar Patel, bowled just an over, so they had to fill the quota with less effective Sumit Kumar and Mitchell Marsh, who hasn’t bowled much in recent times. Rasikh Salam has not been impressive either, which has caused further headaches for skipper Pant on the field.
It is high time that DC thought of a better bowling combination for the future, both in the presence and absence of Kuldeep Yadav.
Rishabh Pant’s batting form is a great sign for DC
While the game was largely forgettable from DC’s point of view, Rishabh Pant's second successive half-century of this IPL will put them in good stead. He followed his 32-ball 51 against CSK a couple of days back with yet another free-flowing 55 from only 25, albeit in a defeat.
We saw the Pant of old returning to his best, and these knocks will only give him much-needed confidence in his comeback journey.
Statistical highlights from KKR vs DC, IPL 2024
This was Khaleel Ahmed’s 100 T20I game.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi of KKR played his maiden IPL innings and struck his first T20 half-century. This is also his best T20 score yet (54).
Sunil Narine brought up his fifth IPL half-century in his 99th innings for KKR and registered his best score in all T20 cricket (85).
88/1 by KKR in powerplays is their second highest, just behind their effort of 105/0 against RCB in 2017.
Andre Russell smashed his 200th six for KKR today.
Points Table Scenario and what’s next to come
KKR has joined RR as the second team with three wins this far and is sitting pretty at the top. Their next game is at Chennai on April 8th, when they take on the defending champions.
DC will face Mumbai on the 7th at Wankhede in a battle of two lowly-placed teams.
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