3dKarthik Krishnaswamy

Varun and Salt star in comprehensive KKR win

The hosts chased down 154 against Delhi Capitals with ease to boost their NRR to 1.096, the best of any team in the competition

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

PD Salt
PD Salt
68(33) 7x4 - 5x6
Control %69%
  • Productive Shot
  • slog shot
  • 15 runs
  • 0x4 - 2x6
4 5 0 8 14 13 2 22
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav
35(26) 5x4 - 1x6
Control %40%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 10 runs
  • 1x4 - 1x6
8 8 4 8 6 0 0 1

Best performances - Bowlers

CV Varun
CV Varun
O4
M0
R16
W3
Eco4.00
RHB
OFFLEG
2W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
AR Patel
AR Patel
O4
M0
R25
W2
Eco6.25
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W

Scorer: @Thilak_Rama | Commentator: Shashwat Kumar

11:25pm Right, that will be all from us for tonight. A bit of an early finish, given this was done well before the last over. We will be back at it tomorrow as the Lucknow Super Giants take on the Mumbai Indians. Until then, this is goodbye from all of us here at ESPNcricinfo. Goodbye and take care!

Varun Chakravarthy, Player of the Match: It (the pitch) was holding a bit and you could see as the game progressed, it was turning more. (On the Rishabh Pant wicket and his match-up) The first ball, when the catch was dropped, I think that was a better ball. The ball that got him out, might have gone for six on any other ground. Cricket has become a game of fine margins. The Stubbs one (was my favourite). (On what happens in conversations between him and Narine) Silence (laughs). Mostly when something does not go well for me, he is always there. After conceding so many runs in the last game, it was a tough pill. Everyone, including Abhishek Nayar and Shahrukh Khan spoke to me and that was nice. (On him asking to spare a thought for the cheerleaders) Unfortunately that has become the trend and maybe they should dance only for the sixes and not for fours (laughs).

Shreyas Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders captain: (On if he thought the pitch will play this way) Not at all, considering the last few matches. After the powerplay, the ball started spinning a bit, was helping the spinners and was tacky. Happy that we bowled first, we got an idea on how it was playing. (On having a chat with the openers beforehand) Sunny, not at all. Phil, he coms into the team meetings and he is completely engrossed into the game. Pure bliss to see the way he is performing. He (Narine) does not (attend team meetings), and I would recommend him to not come as well (smiles). He (Chakravarthy) was not at his best in the last few games. But today, coming in and delivering under pressure, that is what we demand. The way he turned up today was simply brilliant. We have been thinking about it (qualification) from match one, that has been our mindset. Just focussing on our work ethics and our performance.

Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals captain: (On his decision at the toss) I think that (batting first) was a good option but as a batting unit, we did not bat well enough. 150 was definitely below par. That is part and parcel of cricket. We have a long break ahead, where we can learn from our mistakes. Sometimes, it is just not your day. The way we were going, it was pretty nice. You cannot get away every time in T20 cricket. We were 40-50 runs short. (On the ideal target) I think anything between 180-210 would have been a good target. There was a lot of help for the bowlers but as a batting unit, we did not give them enough.

Phil Salt: Good to be contributing. We have had a good run of home games, nice to have that continuity of conditions. Had to bounce back from a tough last game. Pleased to see the bowlers put in that sort of performance, really pleased for them. (On his attacking approach) It is high-risk but it is also about putting the odds in your favour and not taking the risks you don't want to. You just have to keep backing yourself and keep taking the right options. Very helpful to keep on it first and see what it is doing. So, when you come out, you have a fairly good idea of how the surface is playing. (On his conversations with Narine) Off field, we have a laugh. On the field, not a lot. We usually do the talking a day before. He (Narine) does not talk much but he is a deep thinker of the game. (On them taking turns to attack) That is also part of the communication. If one of us gets going, you feed the strike to the other person. Good that we are on the same page like that.

11pm A fairly one-sided contest in the end. It did feel that way at the innings break, and once Salt tore into the DC bowlers inside the powerplay, it quickly became clear that there would be no twists. In fact, Salt's onslaught was so severe that Narine barely had to hit a shot in anger throughout the powerplay, even as KKR ransacked 79 in the first six overs.

The Iyers, Shreyas and Venkatesh, then drove home that advantage, ensuring there were no further hiccups. The only downside to the run-chase was Rinku not making the most of his opportunity at No.3 but apart from that, everything else went to plan.

Nothing of that sort for the Capitals. They leaked too many boundaries when the field was up and by the time their spinners came into the attack, the game had passed them by. Axar and Kuldeep did show what might have been capable of, had they had more runs in the bank, but that is perhaps the only thing DC can cling on to from today's display. And that sums it up.

16.3
6
Rasikh Salam to VR Iyer, SIX, Venkatesh finishes things off in style! KKR's sixth victory this season, and they solidify second spot on the points table! Right in the slot and Venkatesh climbs into it. Gets his hands through the ball beautifully and creams it over the wide long off fence!
16.2
0
Rasikh Salam to VR Iyer, no run, banged into the track outside off. Venkatesh, after taking a step down the track, lets it go

Just three needed now. Surely KKR will finish it this over? Rasikh goes over the wicket

16.1
0
Rasikh Salam to VR Iyer, no run, off-pace on a full length on off. Venkatesh advances and drives it towards extra cover

END OF OVER:
16 | 10 Runs | KKR: 151/3 (3 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 9.43, RRR: 0.75)

  • Shreyas Iyer33 (23b)
  • Venkatesh Iyer20 (20b)
  • Kuldeep Yadav4-0-34-0
  • Axar Patel4-0-25-2
15.6
6
Kuldeep Yadav to SS Iyer, SIX, what a shot! Length outside off. Shreyas decides very early that he wants to play the reverse swat. Gets into position and nails it over the deep backward point fence!

Around the wicket to Shreyas

15.5
1
Kuldeep Yadav to VR Iyer, 1 run, very full on middle and leg. Venkatesh brings out the sweep again and laces it towards deep backward square leg
15.4
0
Kuldeep Yadav to VR Iyer, no run, mix-up between the batters, but Venkatesh is safe! Floated up full just outside off. Venkatesh tries to work to leg and gets a leading edge towards backward point. He wants the single but his captain is not interested. Thankfully for him, he is sent back in time and he can regain his ground via a dive. It was touch-and-go because his bat popped up into the air. There was just enough of his bat on the turf, though, and that saves him!

KKR 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st79SP NarinePD Salt
2nd17PD SaltRK Singh
3rd4SS IyerRK Singh
4th57SS IyerVR Iyer