KKR close it out efficiently
A 14-run win has brought KKR's title defence back on track. The spin twins on an unhelpful track still serving them well. KKR now have nine points from 10 games. DC still comfortably placed but that top-two finish looking distant with every defeat: they have had three of them at home in four matches.
We leave you with a teaser from our final report. Thanks for joining us. See you tomorrow.
Sunil Narine’s. figures at one point: 2.1-0-25-0. Varun Chakravarthy at another: 3-0-31-0. In a chase of 206, having restricted a rampant Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals were in the ascendence having punished the two main KKR weapons. And then the two of them came back with a vengeance: combined, they bowled their last 17 balls for five wickets and 12 runs to get KKR’s title defence back on track.
DC’s captain Axar Patel topped up his figures of 4-0-27-2 with three sixes off Narine despite an injured bottom hand. Narine found himself captaining KKR after Ajinkya Rahane split his finger open and vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer had been substituted out. Captaining was not the only rare thing he did: he also ran KL Rahul out with a direct hit from short fine leg. His real blows came with the ball: wickets of Axar, Tristan Stubbs and top-scorer Faf du Plessis as DC went from 136 for 3 to 190 for 9.
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Ashutosh gone: 160 for 8 in 17.2
This is the game. Sunil Narine has shown faith in Varun Chakravarthy to come back like he himself did from 2.1-0-25-0. Chakravarthy is 3-0-31-0 when he starts the 18th over, but he is now on a hat-trick.
Ashutosh Sharma tries to reverse-pull him but finds backward point. And then Varun tosses up a slower one to Mitch Starc, who sends up a skier. Spin twins for the win.
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Harshit goes for 11 in the 17th: 159 for 6 in 17
This is actually a good over but it has still gone for 11. Three perfect yorkers. One full toss ramped for four, one slower ball mis-hit for a six. That the mis-hit went for a six says this is a good batting pitch with little grip in it.
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Captain Narine is so back: 146 for 6 in 15.2
Faf du Plessis, completely out of gas against spin, is gone for 62 off 45. He got to his fifty in 31. Axar Patel covered for him for some time, but now the spotlight is on him. The thing about such innings is that you then have to at through and win the game. He takes a big risk far too early by backing away, Narine follows him, and he is handcuffed and caught at deep midwicket. Narine has three wickets in the last seven balls.
His strike-rate against pace tonight is 206.25, and against spin: 100.
Oh I forgot to mention Narine is leading the side. Rahane is off with a finger injury, and Venky Iyer has been subbed out.
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Narine strikes back: 138 for 5 in 14
Sunil Narine's figures after Axar's third six off him are 2.1-0-25-0, but he comes back in style with the wickets of Axar and Tristan Stubbs in the same over. Axar hits one short ball to cover, and Stubbs is bowled by an offbreak. Game on again
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Axar takes Narine down
3 Number of sixes the inured Axar Patel has hit off Sunil Narine. Only once has a batter hit more sixes off him in an IPL match: KL Rahul, 4, on the Indore postage stamp in 2018. And once Andre Russell hit five off him in the CPL in 2018
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Chakravarthy 3-0-31-1: 130 for 3 in 13
Varun Chakravarthy has tried to spin the ball much less tonight than in his usual spells. And his high-pace deliveries have gone for runs. Axar Patel muscles one of them in the 13th over to keep themselves abreast with the asking rate: 75 needed in last seven.
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Fifty for Faf: 98 for 3 in 10.2
It comes up in 32 balls. Some lovely crisp straight hitting from him as the ball is coming onto the bat. A brilliant comeback from the last match. We are in for a humdinger.
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Axar in pain but you should see Narine's figures: 97 for 3 in 10 overs
Axar Patel is struggling with his hand, but he has hit two sixes in two Sunil Narine overs. He is 17 off 10, and his exploits against Narine could be crucial. He is 2-0-19-0 as of now.
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Run-out by Narine: 60 for 3 in 6.3
Is there anything more wasteful in cricket than getting run-out trying to take a quick single? In any format. KL Rahul has called Faf du Plessis for one even when du Plessis is not sure. But because the ball has gone behind square, du Plessis trusts his partner's call and goes through. Rahul is caught short by Narine's direct hit from short fine. A dive gets him in easy but he doesn't. Serious misjudgement there. Important to note that Narine is not on the edge of the circle. Somewhere between 20 and 25 yards away from the wicket. The question in at least three chatting platform groups: is this the first direct-hit run-out for Narine ever?
Good news for DC is that Axar has come out to bat
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Powerplay done: 58 for 2
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The game really begins now. Seven overs of Narine and Varun to come. This one is Varun's first, the innings' sixth. He has bowled really quick in this over. Remains to be seen if he has done this because of the pitch or because of the field restrictions.
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Some update and background on Axar's injury
Nothing official about this update.
Axar Patel was forced to leave the field with a hand injury during the first innings.
Axar was fielding at midwicket in the 18th over when he dived at full stretch to field a ball hit towards him by Rovman Powell off the bowling of legspinner Vipraj Nigam. He winced in pain, and quickly left the field while received medical treatment from Patrick Farhat, the Capitals’ lead physio.
Faf du Plessis, DC’s vice-captain, took over for the final 2.2 overs of the innings. At the innings break, Axar was seen receiving further attention from Farhat with his hand heavily taped. He appeared to grimace while attempting to swing the bat, playing a couple of shadow-drives. Axar, who was due in at No. 5, has had an impressive season with the bat, hitting 189 runs at 27.00 with a strike rate of 156.19.
Axar came into the IPL with an injury after cutting the index finger on his left hand – the same hand that he damaged against KKR – during the Champions Trophy. He explained recently that he had been reluctant to bowl himself as a result, since the skin had not fully healed, but he has bowled his full quota in DC’s last three matches.
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Arora gets Nair: 43 for 2 in 4.3
Karun Nair has failed to recreate the goods he displayed on his comeback. Gone for 15 off 13 after missing a straight yorker. Not given on the field, the umpire possibly thinking he has hit it, but replays show he missed it by am Mile. Give Nitin Menon a raise because these players ave not given him a breather tonight.
du Plessis gets a move on: 39 for 1 in 4
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After a struggle in the last match, Faf du Plessis is quite enjoying some pace in this pitch. This is the fourth over, bowled by Harshit Rana. He is 23 off 12 now.
Roy 2-0-15-1: 25 for 1 in 3
Anukul Roy has backed his first over with a superb second one. Both the right-hand batters tried to make room and hit him over covers, but he went for only one boundary in that over. He was especially good against Faf du Plessis. Followed him one ball, then bowled a slow wide one outside off, and then smeared in a quick on. Just one off those last three.
SLA to LHB in PP: 4 for 1 in 0.2
KKR have played a blind gamble here. Anukul Roy, who has not played a single match this IPL, is thrown the brand-new ball with Abhishek Porel on strike. Long-on and deep midwicket. With no spin available with the new ball, Porel crashes the first ball through square cover for four. The next one seems to me to be the arm ball, Porel wants to go over mid-off, but ends up slicing it. Caught at wide mid-off.
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KKR lose way to end up with 204 for 9
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A dramatic last over in which it seemed every ball went up for a DRS review. Those three wickets are not a hat-trick because the third one is a run-out. Just 45 in the last five overs even though Kuldeep Yadav didn't even bowl out. Andre Russell threatened to turn a corner but was starved of strike.
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Nigam gets Rinku: 177 for 6 in 17.3
Andre Russell's presence means DC are using their wristspinners at the death. Vipraj Nigam first, and he doesn't allow Rinku Singh to get under it. Mitchell Starc takes a lovely catch at long-on. It is slightly above his head, and he takes it not overhead but side on. No reverse cup. He takes his hands up and catches it side-on.
Rovman Powell in at 8. Chameera to bowl 19 and Kuldeep to bowl 20?
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Raghuvanshi gone for 44 off 32: 175 for 5 in 17 overs
Dushmantha Chameera comes back well after a poor first over, conceding just seven in the 17th, four off an inside edge. All wide yorkers and then a slower legcutter to get Raghuvanshi out.
Now in comes Andre Russell. Will Kuldeep and Nigam bowl now?
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DC omit to review: 159 for 4 in 15
An added job for wicketkeeper these days is to be able to advise of DRS reviews. Abhishek Porel came on as a keeper for three overs vs CSK, and advised against a review that was stone-dead. And now, he doesn't quite join Axar Patel in the appeal for the catch down the leg side off Rinku Singh. UltraEdge shows an edge. And Rinku has gone on to hit two fours and a six in Kuldedep's next over. Will DC go back to KL Rahul as the keeper?
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Axar 4-0-27-2: 142 for 4 in 14
Captain Axar Patel has bowled all four in a row, taking the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer, both because of lack of turn. KKR's run-rate still above 10. What they won't give for a return to norm for Andre Russell now
Raghuvanshi, Rinku rebuild: 137 for 4 in 13
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That's the 13th over right there, bowled by Kuldeep Yadav. Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh just making sure Andre Russell doesn't have too many overs to face.
Venkatesh's horror run continues: 113 for 4 in 9.2
142 Number of runs Venkatesh Iyer has scored in seven innings this year at 139.21. he is gone trying to slog-sweep Axar Patel, who doesn't turn the ball and takes the top edge
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Raghuvanshi breaks shackles: 111 for 3 in 9
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Shackles imposed by spin after powerplay plus two wickets. Pressure building, and then just like that, Angkrish Raghuvanshi pulls out two lovely sixes down the ground off Vipraj Nigam. One straight, one over long-off.
A second walk on an lbw appeal: 91 for 3 in 7.2
Vipraj Nigam does Axar Patel a solid by getting the wicket of Sunil Narine. The captain immediately responds with the wicket of his opposite number. It is the classic Axar wicket. Seam pointing towards third, all indications of turn away, and the ball pitches and goes straight on. So plumb that, like, Narine, Rahane also walks off without looking at the umpire.
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Umm, KKR, it is actually "husn-e-jana ki tareef mumkin nahi"
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Stone-dead lbw:85 for 2 in 6.4
Sunil Narine tries to slog the quick legspinner Vipraj Nigam, and is caught dead in front. Now Axar Patel will be able to bowl. That makes it a huge wicket.
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KKR's second-best PP: 79 for 1 in 6
90 Runs KKR scored in the powerplay against LSG. This at 79 for 1 is their No. 2 this year
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Rahane gets going: 68 for 1 in 5
2 Only the second time that Starc has bowled three overs inside the powerplay this IPL. He starts off well, cramping Narine, but Rahane then slogs him for a six off good length, and then puts a failed yorker wide of mid-on
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What happened to good length? 54 for 1 in 4
3 Number of balls DC have bowled on a good length in the first four overs. They have gone for 11 runs from there. Six balls short of a length, and they have gone for five runs. But a lot of funky stuff happening. Also Mitch Starc is bowling through the powerplay
Still no fifty opening
0 Number of fifty opening stands for KKR this IPL; this 48 is their highest
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Gurbaz goes behind the wicket: 48 for 1 in 3 overs
All the boundaries in that over are for Gurbaz, and all behind the wicket, two edges, one deliberate deflection. Eventually he also gets out behind the wicket. Edging a yorker from Starc through to the keeper. Cannot give that without replays, but they confirm this is not a bump ball
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Start as you mean to go on
6 Number of times Sunil Narine has hit a first-ball six in the IPL, the highest. He is level with two other spinners, Rashid Khan and Ravindra Jadeja
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Is Narine back?
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That last ball is a lucky boundary for Gurbaz, but Narine has otherwise been brutal on the rest of the sedond over, bowled by Dushmantha Chameera. Narine's best start this year. To be fair, Chameera fed him a little by going full and on the pads. KKR 33 for 0 in two overs.
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Unchanged DC field, Roy comes in for KKR
Delhi Capitals won a crucial toss in Delhi as dew has started playing a much bigger role in IPL matches. They elected to field on a track they expect to be slightly slow, but one that could get better to bat on later in the night. DC were unchanged from the side that lost their last match to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Kolkata Knight Riders made one change, bringing in left-arm spinner Anukul Roy, who for majority of his time in the IPL has played the role of the specialist substitute fielder for KKR. They were coming off from a washed-out game against Punjab Kings.
With three defeats in the last five games, DC's campaigns has plateaued after a smashing start. They still had 12 points from nine matches, which meant they could get right back into the contention for a top-two finish if they could start winning again. Their explosive batting unit struggled to get going in their last home game on a slow surface, and will be hoping they get better batting conditions to work with in the night.
Defending champions KKR were one slip away from entering must-win territory for the rest of the tournament. Their batting unit has not clicked at all. Ajinkya Rahane, not a regular T20 player, has been their best batter.
The likely Impact Players were Vaibhav Arora for KKR and Ashutosh Sharma for DC.
Kolkata Knight Riders 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Venkatesh Iyer, 4 Ajinkya Rahane (capt.), 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Rovman Powell, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Anukul Roy, 11 Varun Chakravarthy
Possible Impact Players Manish Pandey, Mayank Markande, vaibhav Arora, Ramandeep Singh, Luvnith Sisodia
Delhi Capitals 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Abishek Porel (wk), 3 Karun Nair, 4 KL Rahul, 5 Axar Patel (capt.), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Vipraj Nigam, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mukesh Kumar
Possible Impact Players Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Jake Fraser McGurk, T Vijay, Donovan Ferreira
Does Russell need to come in sooner?
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DC look to get back, KKR look to stay in contention
Welcome to our Live Report for this league match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. DC's strong start has plateaued a bit: they have been alternating wins and losses for the last five matches. They want to now make it three wins in six matches. They have 12 points in nine matches.
KKR have just seven points from nine games. If they lose, they might drop off from realistic contenders for the top four spots.
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