New Delhi: 

Despite the likes of Abhishek Porel (4), Karun Nair (15), and KL Rahul (7) not delivering in the top order, Delhi Capitals were cruising in the 205-run chase at one stage with Du Plessis and skipper Axar Patel going strong in the middle. However, Narine broke the stand to turn the game in his side’s favour. Narine dismissed a set Axar on 43 off 23 balls in the 14th over before cleaning up Traistan Stubbs 4 balls later to derail DC’s run chase.

A game-changing spell from Sunil Narine and a two-wicket over from Varun Chakaravarthy in the death helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secure a crucial 14-run victory against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Tuesday. It was a case of too close yet too far for hosts DC as they fell short in the 205-run chase despite a solid half-century from opener Faf du Plessis and a late cameo from Vipraj Nigam.

Chakaravarthy joined the party in the 18th over with twin wickets. He removed Ashutosh Sharma cheaply on 7 before dismissing Mitchell Starc on a duck to redeem himself and finish with figures of 2/39 off his 4 overs. Despite a valiant fight from Vipraj, who smashed 38 off just 19 balls, DC failed to get over the line in the tricky chase.

Narine stood in as captain for KKR in the absence of Ajinkya Rahane following an injury to the regular skipper in the 12th over of DC’s chase. He manoeuvred his bowlers well and led KKR’s revival from the front with a brilliant spell. After two crucial wickets in the 14th over, Narine also went on to dismiss half-centurion Du Plessis on 62 off 45 deliveries to bowl DC nearly out of the game.

KKR remain alive in the race for the playoffs

While they remain in the seventh spot on the points table, the win keeps them in the hunt for a spot in the top four. Nonetheless, KKR need to be on their toes as they cannot afford another slip-up in the remainder of the season. KKR need at least three more wins in their remaining four matches to remain in contention for a top-four berth. Meanwhile, DC are in the 4th spot with 12 points after 10 matches.

KKR’s star spin duo of Narine and Chakaravarthy stepped up at the right time for the defending champions as their crucial 14-run victory against Delhi Capitals gave them some much-needed breathing space while keeping them alive in the race for the playoffs in the ongoing IPL 2025. It was KKR’s fourth win of the season, and they now have 9 points after ten matches.

Delhi Capitals’ spin woes continue in IPL 2025

KKR did well to exploit DC’s spin woes by adding spin all-rounder Anukul Roy to their XI in the game. Anukul was handed the new ball in the Powerplay and delivered straightaway by getting Porel cheaply in the first over before Narine and Chakaravarthy weaved their magic with the ball in the middle over and the death. DC have now lost 29 wickets to spin this season, a concerning stat that would worry them heading into the business end of the tournament.

Delhi Capitals’ spin woes continued in the ongoing IPL 2025 as they succumbed to a close defeat against KKR at home. DC had lost as many as 23 wickets to spin heading into their home game against KKR on Tuesday, and ended up adding six more wickets to that tally as Narine and Chakaravarthy ran the show during the hosts’ chase.

While the bowlers stole the show for KKR, the batters also did well to help the visitors post a strong total of 204 runs on the board, batting first. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine provided KKR with a solid start with a 48-run stand for the first wicket before Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s fine knock of 44 and Rinku Singh’s 25-ball 36 helped them cross the 200-run mark.

KKR would look to continue their winning run when they take on the Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens in their next game as they look to keep pushing for a spot in the playoffs in IPL 2025.

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