Clinical DC sign off with comfortable win over KKR

Just 22 balls into the contest, KKR's faint playoff hopes had already diminished at the Eden Gardens because of what unfolded across the country's western coast at the Wankhede in Mumbai. The match turned inconsequential, Delhi Capitals powered their way to 203 with their first complete batting performance of the season, where every batter contributed, led by opener KL Rahul's 30-ball 60. Ajinkya Rahane played a captain's knock, making 63 off 39 in reply, but lacked steady support at the other end, as KKR folded for just 163 and conceded a massive 40-run defeat.

Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 203/5 (KL Rahul 60 off 30, Axar Patel 39 off 25, David Miller 28 off 19; Saurabh Dubey 2-28) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 163 all out in 18.4 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 63 off 30; Kuldeep Yadav 3-29, Lungi Ngidi 3-27) by 40 runs

Dubey's PP spell curbs DC's fiery start

On either side of Saurabh Dubey's two-over spell in the Powerplay, Delhi Capitals were aggressive and threatened to post a big score. Abhishek Porel got going with back-to-back boundaries off Anukul Roy, earned a reprieve on 18, but couldn't make the most of it, becoming Dubey's first victim for 22 off 18. KL Rahul took on Cam Green for a six and a four, while Sahil Parakh welcomed Sunil Narine with a maximum. Parakh got a life too and rounded off the Powerplay with another boundary, taking DC to 53/1, with Dubey returning impressive figures of 1/5 from two overs.

Rahul powers DC through middle overs

After slowing down slightly, Rahul took on Narine to accelerate, using his feet to slam two sixes straight down the ground and another four across the spinner's two overs. Narine hit back with Parakh's wicket for 24 off 17. Rahul brought up his 51st IPL fifty off just 25 balls and, alongside skipper Axar Patel, took Kartik Tyagi apart in a 20-run 11th over. He then punished Roy's short-pitched bowling for two more boundaries before holing out in the deep after top-scoring with a 60 at a strike rate of 200.

Late fireworks take DC to 200+

David Miller and Axar kept dealing in sixes to maintain momentum after a brief lull. Axar miscued to long-on after scoring 39 off 25. Miller and Ashutosh Sharma smashed three more maximums in the final seven deliveries to propel DC to 203/5, setting KKR a stiff target.

Both Mitchell Starc and Auqib Nabi began with economical opening overs, but KKR's openers soon shifted gears. Starc's second over went for 15, with Finn Allen launching one well over long-off for six before squeezing another past wide slip for four. Nabi then came under attack from the KKR skipper, who launched two consecutive deliveries over the ropes. Lungi Ngidi provided DC the much-needed breakthrough with Allen's wicket, but Manish Pandey carried forward the momentum.

Spinners derail KKR's charge

During the rebuilding phase, Rahane and Pandey struck three sixes off Axar in his second over, making it a costly 21-run over. However, DC kept striking at regular intervals. Ngidi broke the stand, dismissing Manish for 25 off 16 as he holed out to long-on. Impact substitute Kuldeep Yadav struck in his very first over, restricting Green's contribution to just two runs.

Rahane brought up a 31-ball fifty, but Kuldeep dismissed both Rahane and Rinku Singh in successive deliveries of his final over to finish with game-changing figures of 3/20. Axar then got Tejasvi Dahiya to drag one back onto his stumps in the 15th over, leaving KKR at 129/6, needing 75 more from 35 balls. Rovman Powell briefly entertained with a few boundaries, but Starc's 18th over proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the hosts, who lost three in four balls.