How Did Sunil Narine’s All-Round Brilliance Lead KKR to Victory Over DC?

New Delhi, April 29 (NationPress) Sunil Narine showcased an outstanding all-round performance, scoring 27 runs off 16 balls while also taking 3 wickets for 29 runs, acting as the stand-in captain, and executing a pivotal run-out to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a narrow victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) by 14 runs, keeping their playoff hopes alive in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.

KKR began their innings with explosive batting, achieving a total of 204/9 on a pitch favorable for scoring. DC's chase was initially promising, highlighted by a 76-run partnership between vice-captain Faf du Plessis, who scored 62 runs, and skipper Axar Patel, who contributed 43 runs despite playing through an injury.

However, Narine and his bowling partner, Varun Chakaravarthy, executed crucial wickets in the 14th and 18th overs, turning the tide as DC faltered from 136/3 to ultimately finish at 190/9, marking their third loss at their original home ground.

In addition to his bowling success, Narine stepped in as captain due to Ajinkya Rahane's injury and Venkatesh Iyer's substitution, and made a significant impact by running out KL Rahul. Chakaravarthy also played a vital role, taking 2 wickets for 39 runs, supported by Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, and Andre Russell, each claiming a wicket.

DC's innings got off to a rocky start as Abishek Porel fell early to Anukul Roy. Du Plessis capitalized on opportunities from Harshit Rana, but lost Karun Nair to a sharp delivery from Vaibhav Arora. The turning point came when Narine executed a direct hit to run out KL Rahul, pushing the momentum back to KKR.

Despite du Plessis's strong batting, Narine's double strike in the 14th over, taking out Axar and Tristan Stubbs, was pivotal in shifting the match's outcome. Chakaravarthy also contributed with two key wickets in the later overs, while Vipraj Nigam kept DC's hopes alive briefly before falling to Russell.

Earlier in the match, KKR exploded out of the gates, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Narine both showcasing aggressive batting. Narine reached KKR's fastest fifty of the season, and Rahane provided key runs during the power play. Despite a mini-recovery from DC, KKR's total proved too challenging for the opposition.

In summary, KKR scored 204/9 in their 20 overs, with contributions from Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44) and Rinku Singh (36), while DC managed 190/9, led by du Plessis's 62. KKR's victory by 14 runs emphasizes their potential as they aim for a playoff spot.

Brief scores:

Kolkata Knight Riders 204/9 in 20 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 44, Rinku Singh 36; Mitchell Starc 3-42, Axar Patel 2-27) beat Delhi Capitals 190/9 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 62, Axar Patel 43; Sunil Narine 3-29, Varun Chakaravarthy 2-39) by 14 runs.