In order for Delhi to advance further in the match, other batters needed to provide du Plessis with greater support, said to former India opener Aakash Chopra. Delhi Capitals (DC) lost against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, April 29, wasting an opportunity to place in the top two of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 points table.
After being selected to bat first, the Knight Riders achieved a respectable score of 204/9 in their 20 overs. Fad du Plessis kept Delhi in the hunt with a brilliant 62 off 45 balls in response. Quickfire knocks from Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam were insufficient to push DC over the finish line; the home team fell by 14 runs. With three wickets at a cost of 29 runs in four overs, Sunil Narine was the best bowler for KKR.
The former cricket player who is now an analyst commended KKR for giving the new ball to Anukul Roy. In addition to bowling economically, the Jharkhand all-rounder removed the highly effective Abishek Porel.
The Delhi Capitals had opportunities to complete the transaction, but Faf du Plessis wasn’t the only factor. To increase pressure, someone else had to bat with him and take the game deep. They had a rough beginning. Giving the fresh ball to Anukul Roy was a superb decision on the part of KKR. Karun Nair hasn’t taken full advantage of his second opportunity in cricket. The eight overs from Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine had to be navigated in this sort of run chase, Chopra stated on JioHotstar.
“KL Rahul’s run-out was crucial, in my opinion. It was their last chance after that. It seemed like Delhi might lose when Tristan Stubbs didn’t contribute,” he continued.
The 47-year-old pointed out that given the potency in their batting order, KKR ought to have scored 240 runs. The defending champions are depending on their domestic pacers, so he also thought that Harshit Rana, who just won the Champions Trophy with the Indian squad, would need to step up with the ball.
Even though Varun Chakravarthy wasn’t playing at his best, KKR made wise decisions. Anukul Roy took a wicket and bowled four overs for just 27 runs. Sunil Narine was excellent; he used the ball to win the game by himself. Nevertheless, this KKR squad hasn’t reached its zenith yet. Although 204 is a fantastic score, they may reach 240 given their batting depth. When it comes to bowling, Harshit Rana needs to improve. They have made significant investments in him, and they require more from their Indian pacers if they are not going to use a fast bowler from abroad. Remember that he has won an ICC trophy, so he is no longer a rookie.
The pivotal moment was KL Rahul’s run-out: Aakash Chopra
Chopra claimed that KKR was able to regain the game after KL Rahul was run out by Narine. The Capitals were significantly repelled by the mystery spinner, who also claimed significant wickets.
“He bowled after batting excellently first. Remember, too, that Sunil Narine was the direct cause of KL Rahul’s run-out. Sincerely, I can’t recall the last time he had a direct-hit run-out. That was the pivotal moment. Even though Delhi still had a chance at that point, Narine’s wicket-taking drastically changed the tide of the match. particularly considering Varun Chakravarthy wasn’t playing at his best; he was losing runs and didn’t have the self-assurance to bowl more slowly. Narine was forced to deliver at that point, and he did.
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