IPL 2024: Dominant KKR thrash Delhi Capitals to secure third consecutive win

Kolkata Knight Riders delivered a clinical performance against Delhi Capitals at the latter's second home in IPL 2024, securing a commanding 106-run victory that propelled them to the top of the points table in Vizag on Wednesday night.

This marks the first instance in their history that KKR has won the first three games of an IPL season.

KKR demonstrated excellence both with the bat and the ball. They chose to bat first on a pitch conducive to scoring, and Sunil Narine showcased an impressive display of hitting, scoring a remarkable 85 runs off 39 balls, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi notched up a rapid fifty on his IPL debut, scoring 54 runs off 27 balls.

A late surge led by Andre Russell (41 off 19) and Rinku Singh (26 off 8) propelled KKR to a formidable total of 272/7 – the second-highest team total in IPL history.

DC had a disastrous start, losing their top four batsmen within the first five overs, severely denting their chances of chasing down the imposing target.

David Warner (18), Prithvi Shaw (10), Mitchell Marsh (0), and Abhishek Porel (0) were all dismissed early, leaving DC in a dire situation.

DC captain Rishabh Pant revived their hopes with his second consecutive fifty of the season, along with Tristan Stubbs, who contributed a valuable 54 runs off 32 balls. However, their efforts were in vain as DC was bowled out for 166 in 17.2 overs.

For KKR, Mitchell Starc, who had struggled in previous matches, returned to form with figures of 2/25 from three overs, claiming the wickets of his Australian teammates Warner and Marsh.

Vaibhav Arora (3/27) and Varun Chakaravarthy (3/33) starred with the ball for KKR.

Earlier, Narine punished the DC bowlers, hitting seven sixes and seven fours during his innings, capitalizing on being dropped on 53.

Raghuvanshi, who missed batting in his first IPL match, complemented Narine with a brisk 104-run partnership off 48 balls.

DC's bowling performance was lacklustre as they conceded their highest total in the team's history, with KKR hitting 18 sixes and 28 fours.

KKR's dominance continued as they amassed 88 runs in the powerplay, with DC struggling to contain the boundaries.

Despite dismissing Narine and Raghuvanshi, DC failed to contain Russell, who capitalised on full tosses and punished the bowlers.

DC now finds themselves in ninth place on the points table, with their net run-rate severely impacted.

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