4 min readNew DelhiApr 21, 2023 07:45 AM IST
First published on: Apr 21, 2023 at 12:55 AM IST
At one point in the evening, it looked like Delhi Capitals would finally open their account courtesy the weather. However, when the match began after an hour-long delay, they huffed and puffed to register their first win of the tournament.
If it were the bowlers who set the match up for Delhi, their captain David Warner led the chase, but they made a mess of a straightforward chase. The hosts somehow managed to chase down the modest total of 128 in 19.2 overs with four wickets remaining.
Warner (57 off 41 balls) started off with his trademark pull shot. Then he took on Kulwant Khejroliya, slamming the left-arm seamer for back-to-back boundaries, and then pummelled Andre Russell for two more.
His opening partner Prithvi Shaw has been troubled by the seamers in this tournament but against KKR, it was Varun Chakravarthy who cleaned him up.
Mitchell Marsh failed again, falling to the part-time spin of Nitish Rana. Anukul Roy, who failed to make an impact with the bat, bowled beautifully. In his first over, he bowled five dots to Marsh, and in his second, got the reward as a simple return catch to dismiss Phil Salt.
Warner completed his fifty in 35 balls, his fourth of the tournament and the quickest. Chakravarthy ended his enterprising knock, trapping him in front when the left-hander attempted a reverse-sweep.
However, Axar Patel (19 not out off 22) ensured Delhi crossed the finishing line.
Earlier, their bowlers made the most of the conditions and restricted KKR to 127.
Mukesh Kumar, after conceding two boundaries in his first over, got the wicket of Litton Das, whose half-hearted pull was caught by Lalit Yadav.
Anrich Nortje started off with a slip and his Test match length brought instant success. Venkatesh Iyer, KKR’s in-form batsman, was undone by a ball which climbed on him and the outside edge carried to Marsh at slip.
Ishant Sharma, playing his first match of the season, kept the pressure on. KKR skipper Rana, too, was undone by the bounce and holed out at mid-on, where Mukesh took a good running catch.
Axar Patel ended Mandeep Singh’s bizarre stay at the crease. Mandeep lost his middle stump while trying to play a ramp shot.
Axar was given the ball the moment Rinku Singh walked in. The all-rounder didn’t disappoint his captain, and his accuracy did the trick with Rinku caught at deep square leg. Sunil Narine, too, perished cheaply with KKR reeling at 70 for 6.
Andre Russell joined England opener Jason Roy in the middle and the duo took KKR closer to 100. Kuldeep Yadav ended the dangerous stand. Roy’s top edge was caught at backward square, and on the very next ball Yadav trapped ‘Impact Player’ Anukul Roy.
Jason Roy, who was dropped by Marsh of his own bowling at 24, top-scored for KKR with 43 off 39 balls.
Russell flexed his muscle in the last over, smoking three sixes and plundering 19 runs. The late blitz helped KKR reach a respectable total with the West Indian remaining unbeaten on 38.
Delhi Capitals register first win of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders. (Express Photos by Abhinav Saha) 
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