DC vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Delhi Capitals by 7 wickets to maintain second spot

Right then, that wraps up this encounter where Kolkata emerge victorious against Delhi, making sure they stay at that second position on the points table. Our attention now shifts to the upcoming clash, where Lucknow will play host to Mumbai at the illustrious Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. The action will take place on Tuesday, 30th of April and will commence at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT), but the excitement begins long before that with extensive pre-match coverage. So, be sure to tune in early for all the anticipation and analysis. Until then, it's time to bid farewell with cheers!

Varun Chakaravarthy is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his brilliance with the ball. He says that the ball was holding a bit and it helped him to do well. States that the ball when Rishabh Pant's catch was dropped was better than the one he got wicket on. When asked about which of the three wickets was his favourite, he replies that he liked the wicket of Tristan Stubbs the most. He says that he wants to stick to the basics. Shares that when the last game did not go well, Abhishek Nayar, Shahrukh Khan and the support staff spoke to him personally and motivated him. On his funny tweet asking the batters to give cheerleaders a break, he jokingly says that the cheerleaders should dance only for the sixes and not for fours.

Shreyas Iyer, the skipper of Kolkata says that after the Powerplay the ball started to spin and the deck was playing differently and is glad they bowled first and got a fair idea of how to overcome the tackiness. Adds that Phil Salt is engrossed in the game and wants to learn a lot and every time turns up to put on such a show on top of the order. Jokes about Sunil Narine not attending any batter's meetings. States that the spinners were good and Varun Chakaravarthy came back and delivered here under pressure after tough games and is simply brilliant in the character shown. Concludes that they don't want to look at the points table and just want to take one game at a time and deliver their best. 

Time for the presentation ceremony.. 

The man of the moment with the chase, Phil Salt is down for a quick chat. He says it is good to contribute and to see a comeback from that tough last game with the bowlers stepping up was admirable. Adds that going hard up top is a high risk but also puts the odds in their favour. States that keeping wickets can help him assess the conditions up close and helps him when he comes out to bat. He appreciates Sunil Narine and says he is a deep thinker of the game and with his experience, he brings a lot to the partnership. Further adds that if one of them gets going well the other one is happy to rotate the strike and it's part of the communication. 

The skipper of Delhi, Rishabh Pant says that it was a good option to bat first but they did not play well as a batting unit. States that 153 was below par but they have a long break ahead and will learn from their mistakes. Shares that the batting unit has been doing well but it was not their day today. Feels that they fell short by 40-50 runs and a total between 180-210 would have been good. Ends by saying that the batters did not give enough for the bowlers to defend but it is part and parcel of the game.

Earlier in the game, Rishabh Pant's decision to bat first appeared to falter, as Delhi found themselves in a precarious position, losing three wickets within the Powerplay. Despite this setback, skipper Rishabh Pant, alongside Axar Patel and Abishek Porel, showcased glimpses of promise with their innings, yet fell short of converting their starts into substantial contributions. Throughout the innings, Delhi continued to face the challenge of losing wickets at regular intervals, placing their total in jeopardy. However, amidst the chaos, it was Kuldeep Yadav who emerged as a beacon of stability, crafting a crucial unbeaten knock of 35 runs towards the end. His valiant effort propelled Delhi to a respectable total of 153 runs. Kolkata exhibited exceptional bowling, with Varun Chakaravarthy standing out as the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets. Meanwhile, Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana also made significant contributions, securing two wickets each to bolster Kolkata's formidable bowling display which was then rounded off with an even stronger batting performance to seal the game.

Delhi, on the other hand, faced an uphill battle defending a modest total and needed to adopt an all-out attack approach from the outset. Unfortunately, they didn't get the ideal start with the ball, as Lizaad Williams endured a torrid time in the very first over, getting carted around the park by Kolkata's aggressive openers and it got worse by dropping Salt when he was on 15. The bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs during the Powerplay, putting Delhi on the back foot early in the game. By the time the spinners were brought into the attack after the powerplay, Kolkata had already established a commanding position. Despite managing to pick up a couple of wickets, the game had drifted far beyond Delhi's reach, and it was just a matter of time before Kolkata sealed the victory.

What a commanding performance from Kolkata! They strolled through the chase effortlessly, clinching victory with 7 wickets in hand and a whopping 21 balls to spare. This win marks a triumphant return for Kolkata after a challenging previous outing, reaffirming their dominance as they comfortably sit at the second position on the points table. With a modest target of 154 runs to chase down, Kolkata wasted no time in asserting their dominance as Phil Salt and Sunil Narine found boundaries with ease. Their explosive partnership at the top, amassing 79 runs in just 6 overs, catapulted Kolkata well ahead in the game. Although Narine's departure momentarily slowed the momentum, Rinku Singh's brief stint at number 3 couldn't replicate the initial fireworks. However, the skipper Shreyas Iyer, alongside Venkatesh Iyer, calmly guided Kolkata to victory, picking off the remaining runs with ease and authority.

Rasikh Dar to Venkatesh Iyer, SIX! BOOM! Venkatesh Iyer finishes it off in style! Angling across the left-hander, fuller in length and outside off, Venkatesh Iyer picks up the length early and leaves nothing in the tank. Goes inside out over extra cover for a biggie. Kolkata get over the line comfortably with more than 3 overs to spare and 7 wickets in hand.

Rasikh Dar to Venkatesh Iyer, Into the wicket and it is slower as well, on off, Venkatesh Iyer gets on his toes to play the upper cut to ramp it over the keeper but changes his mind at the last moment and decides to let it go.

Rasikh Dar to Venkatesh Iyer, Goes full and lands it around off, Venkatesh Iyer gets the weight on the front foot and knocks it to cover

Kuldeep Yadav to Shreyas Iyer, SIX! SHOT! Woah... where has that come from? Kuldeep Yadav serves the googly from around the wicket and bowls it at the stumps, Shreyas Iyer premeditates and goes for the switch hit. Hits it over the deep backward point fence for a maximum.

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, Strays on the pads, on a fullish length, Venkatesh Iyer sweeps it along the ground to deep backward square leg for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, A mix-up but no harm done! Floats it up, full and turning away, around off, Venkatesh Iyer looks to play against the turn. Gets a leading edge that rolls towards backward point. Venkatesh sets off for the run but gets sent back quickly by Shreyas. The southpaw dives at the batting end and his bat bounces off the turf when the bails were taken off but he had some part of his bat grounded inside the crease which saved him there.

Kuldeep Yadav to Shreyas Iyer, Serves the googly, short and on off, Shreyas Iyer picks it and pushes it wide of point for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, In the air...but it falls short! Loops it up, full and turning away, on off, Venkatesh Iyer goes for the sweep as he reaches out in front. Fails to control the sweep and skies it in the air towards deep mid-wicket. Lizaad Williams runs in and puts in the dive but the ball lands in short. Good attacking effort by Williams. The batters cross as the ball away rolls off Williams' hands.

Kuldeep Yadav to Shreyas Iyer, Fuller and quicker, on off, Shreyas Iyer dabs it in front of square on the off side for a single.

Axar Patel to Venkatesh Iyer, Short and on middle, Venkatesh Iyer goes on the back foot for the pull but gets an inside edge onto the pads.

Axar Patel to Venkatesh Iyer, Sees the batter step out and fires it in, on off, Venkatesh Iyer pushes it back to the bowler.

Axar Patel to Shreyas Iyer, Sliding onto the pads, short in length, Shreyas Iyer turns this one behind square on the leg side for a run.

Axar Patel to Venkatesh Iyer, Drops it short and over middle, Venkatesh Iyer rocks back and whips it down to wide long on for one more run.

Axar Patel to Shreyas Iyer, Slower through the air, fuller and on off, Shreyas Iyer gets on the front foot and pats it in front of cover for a single.

Axar Patel to Shreyas Iyer, FOUR! Nicely cut away! Angling into the right-hander, on a nagging length, around off, Shreyas Iyer goes on the back foot quickly and cuts it late to get it between backward point and short third for a boundary.

Kuldeep Yadav to Shreyas Iyer, Drags down the length a bit over off, Shreyas Iyer rocks back and cuts it to point for a single. 

Kuldeep Yadav to Shreyas Iyer, Full and into the pads, Shreyas Iyer tucks it to the right of the bowler. 

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, Full and drifting into the pads, Venkatesh Iyer punches it to long on for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, Bowls this nicely on a fuller length around off and gets the ball to drift and turn away off the deck, Venkatesh Iyer is beaten on the outside edge trying to fend it out. 

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, Floats this one fuller and into the stumps, Venkatesh Iyer looks to flick it away but gets an inside edge to deep backward square leg for a couple of runs. 

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, Goes fuller and into the pads, Venkatesh Iyer flicks it straight to short mid-wicket. 

Strategic break! It has been a game to forget for Delhi, not only with the bat and ball but also in the field. It is about delaying the inevitable more than anything and not letting their NRR take a big hit. Phil Salt set the chase up for them perfectly, and it has since been a cruise for Kolkata. They will look to knock off the remaining 24 runs as quickly as possible.

Rasikh Dar to Venkatesh Iyer, Hurls this on a good length and on off, Venkatesh Iyer punches it to long off for a single. 

Rasikh Dar to Shreyas Iyer, Nicely bowled! Attacks the stumps and bowls a nice yorker, Shreyas Iyer jams it out to the left of cover for a single. 

Rasikh Dar to Shreyas Iyer, Lands this on a length, outside off, Shreyas Iyer cuts it straight to backward point. 

Rasikh Dar to Shreyas Iyer, Bowls this straight and into the stumps, Shreyas Iyer with soft hands just eases it in front of deep mid-wicket and gets two runs. 

Rasikh Dar to Venkatesh Iyer, On a back of a length, around middle and leg, Venkatesh Iyer tucks it to deep square leg for a single. 

Rasikh Dar to Venkatesh Iyer, FOUR! Lizaad Williams is having a tough day! Rasikh Dar bowls this on a length and outside off, Venkatesh Iyer punches it to left of deep cover. Lizaad Williams gets to the ball but makes an absolute mess of it allowing it to get through his hands and to the fence for four more. 

Rasikh Dar (1-0-15-0) returns to the attack.

Kuldeep Yadav to Shreyas Iyer, Pushes this straighter and on middle and off, Shreyas Iyer clips it to deep midwicket and gets a couple of runs. 

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, Floats this one fuller around middle and gets the ball to turn away off the deck, Venkatesh Iyer stays back and pushes it to point for a single. 

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, Bowls this full and into the stumps, Venkatesh Iyer gets down on a knee and looks to reverse sweep this time but gets a thin inside edge onto his pads and towards the off side. 

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, Pushes this one on a fuller length and into the pads, Venkatesh Iyer looks to sweep it away but misses on connection. The ball thuds him on the front pad. 

Kuldeep Yadav to Venkatesh Iyer, FOUR! Easy pickings for Venkatesh Iyer! Kuldeep Yadav drags the length down a bit over middle, Venkatesh Iyer rocks back and pulls it square of the wicket on leg for a boundary. 

Kuldeep Yadav to Shreyas Iyer, Drifts this one fuller and on leg, Shreyas Iyer flicks it to short fine leg for a single. 

Axar Patel to Shreyas Iyer, Slower through the air, on a nagging length, on off, Shreyas Iyer lets the ball come to him and pushes it with soft hands, wide of point for a single.

Axar Patel to Shreyas Iyer, Bowls the arm ball and lands it on a fuller length and into the stumps, Shreyas Iyer looks to keep it out but gets an inside edge onto his pads.

Axar Patel to Shreyas Iyer, Fuller and outside off, Shreyas Iyer cuts it to backward point. 

Axar Patel to Shreyas Iyer, FOUR! That's very sloppy from Kuldeep Yadav! Axar Patel bowls this nicely on a fuller length outside off, Shreyas Iyer just cuts it to the left of short third. Kuldeep Yadav is late on the dive as this one gets through to the fence for another boundary. 

Axar Patel to Shreyas Iyer, FOUR! Find the gap well! Axar Patel drops the length short and on leg, Shreyas Iyer gets across the line and scoops it past the keeper for a boundary. 

Axar Patel to Shreyas Iyer, Tosses this one up around off and angles it in, Shreyas Iyer tucks it back to the bowler.