After being invited to bat first, the Knight Riders came out all guns blazing, attacking the bowlers from the very outset. However, despite the explosive start, Delhi Capitals managed to pull things back by striking at regular intervals, preventing KKR from maintaining their initial momentum throughout the innings.
Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi emerged as the top-scorer for the visitors, anchoring the innings with a composed knock of 44 runs off 32 deliveries. His innings included fluent stroke play and quick running between the wickets, helping KKR build a solid platform in the middle overs.
Besides openers Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz contributing with 27 and 26 runs respectively, Rinku Singh from the middle-overs also chipped in with a crucial 36-run cameo, ensuring the scoring rate did not dip even as wickets continued to fall around him. The rest of the batting unit contributed in spurts, adding vital runs to keep the scoreboard ticking and push the total past the 200-run mark.
Delhi’s spin duo, Axar Patel and the young Vipraj Nigam, also played key roles in pegging back the KKR innings. Axar showcased his experience, picking up two wickets for just 27 runs in his quota, applying pressure in the middle overs
Nigam complemented him well, finishing with figures of 2 for 41, including key breakthroughs that disrupted KKR’s rhythm. Despite their efforts, Delhi found it challenging to contain the aggressive intent of the Kolkata batters for extended periods, as KKR managed to post a competitive total that would test the Capitals’ batting lineup in the second half of the match
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