In Match 28 of TATA IPL 2023, the Delhi Capitals defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders to get their first win of the season after losing five matches. KKR were bowled out for 127, thanks to a collective bowling performance from DC, in which four bowlers picked up two wickets each as they bowled KKR out for 127.
Chasing 128, David Warner led the way with the bat, scoring 57 off 41 balls. However, KKR fought back hard, and it was up to Axar Patel’s crucial knock of 19* off 22 balls to hold his nerve and take DC over the finish line. KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for just 17 runs.
After DC won the toss, Mukesh Kumar provided DC with the early breakthrough as he had Litton Das caught at square leg off a short delivery in the second over. Anrich Nortje then sent back the in-form Venkatesh Iyer in the next over. At the conclusion of the Powerplay, KKR stumbled to 35/3.
Axar Patel dismissed Mandeep Singh in the following over, and KKR lost their fourth wicket. Jason Roy then received a reprieve when Mitchell Marsh dropped a caught and bowled. After 10 overs, KKR had a score of 64/4.
The in-form Rinku Singh was next dismissed by Axar, who slog-swept it into Lalit Yadav’s grasps at deep square leg. The wickets kept falling as Sunil Narine pulled off some late hitting, scoring 21 off 9 balls. However, he was the last man out as KKR were bowled out for 127.
As they began their chase for 128 with six fours each in the first three overs, David Warner and Prithvi Shaw established the tone. The decision by KKR to employ spin early paid off, as Narine only conceded three runs from his opening over. Varun Chakravarthy then delivered the first blow by having Shaw drag one onto the stumps on 13(11). As DC reached 61/1 at the end of the Powerplay, Warner then turned his attention to Narine’s final over, smashing four fours to remove 17 runs off it.
Then, KKR came back and took two quick wickets to restrict DC. When Warner (57 off 41 balls) missed his reverse sweep with 35 needed from 42 balls, Chakaravarthy trapped him LBW. As Warner reached fifty off 33 balls, Manish Pandey and Axar Patel relieved the load by smashing a few fours off Anukul. Manish Pandey left in an attempt to clear long on as he mistimed one to the fielder off Anukul Roy with 18 needed off of 26. Nitish Rana defeated Aman Khan with a stunning catch to give KKR another run in the over.
DC needed 12 runs to win off the last two overs. Rana gave away just five runs in the penultimate over, leaving DC needing seven off the last over. Rana handed the ball to Kulwant Khejroliya, and Axar got a couple off the first ball, which brought DC the extra run. After flicking the next ball to deep midwicket, he dashed through for two runs.
It was a no-ball as Khejroliya had overstepped. Axar took one more to reach the finish line after flicking a full toss to deep mid-wicket from the Free-Hit when two were needed off five. Axar Patel contributed a crucial 19* off 22 balls to ensure Delhi’s first victory of the year.
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