IPL 2022: All-round Delhi Capitals outclass KKR 44 runs

Irrespective of the ground size, 215/5 posted Delhi Capitals was an imposing total. And Kolkata Knight Riders eventually fell to scoreboard pressure. Shreyas Iyer was threatening to take the game away from DC. Even after his dismissal, KKR had Andre Russell and Pat Cummins. But it was Kuldeep Yadav’s bright evening at Brabourne, who returned with 4/35. Both Khaleel Ahmed (3/25) and Shardul Thakur (2/30) supported him well. KKR were all out for 171 in 19.4 overs.
Kuldeep is back
Not many moons ago, while playing for KKR, Kuldeep Yadav cried on the field after a Moeen Ali batting assault. Things went downhill for the chinaman bowler after that. A knee injury that needed surgery to fix didn’t help matters. This season, he lost out on a BCCI central contract even.
This IPL has been witnessing a stirring fightback from the 27-year-old. Today’s game against KKR was his best. The impact spell he bowled secured victory for DC. Iyer’s wicket was the finest of them all.The KKR captain was going great guns. A few more overs from him and his team would have been the favourites to win this game. Iyer had just hit a six off Kuldeep to raise his fifty. The bowler responded with a googly, varied his flight and pulled the length back a little. The batsmen came down the track, missed the ball and was stumped. Iyer’s wicket changed the game.

ICYMI: @imkuldeep18 stole the show with the ball & scalped a match-winning 4⃣-wicket haul against #KKR. 👏 👏 #TATAIPL | #KKRvDC | @DelhiCapitals
Watch🎥 🔽https://t.co/3RvxXe4uk9
..: & !
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 10, 2022
But Kuldeep wasn’t finished yet. There was the small matter of taking out Cummins, fresh from his previous game carnage. A conventional chinaman trapped him LBW before Kuldeep accounted for Sunil Narine. A stunning catch off his own bowling in the next delivery dismissed Umesh Yadav. That three-wicket over slammed the door shut on KKR.
A study in contrast
They are the -products of the Mumbai school of cricket. Prithvi Shaw opens for DC in the IPL, Ajinkya Rahane does it for KKR. The young and the old, the two batsmen provided a study in ‘opening’ contrasts on Sunday.
Shaw so far has failed to replicate his talent in international cricket, his fitness being one of the reasons. In the IPL, however, where he is mentally unfettered, Shaw can be majestic on his day. His batting at CCI oozed class.

A superb win for @DelhiCapitals! 👏 👏
The @RishabhPant17-led unit bounce back in style and they beat #KKR 4️⃣4️⃣ runs. 👍 👍
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/4vNW3LXMWM#TATAIPL | #KKRvDC pic.twitter.com/iRM9fVPXna
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 10, 2022
The first ball of the match from Yadav went for a four, Shaw standing and walloping it through wide mid-off. Four balls later, Yadav strayed down the leg and the batsmen tickled it to the fine leg boundary. The start set the tone for DC’s innings.

Shaw punished Yadav in his next over also and his aggression trickled down to his opening partner David Warner, who took on Cummins with back-to-back fours. When Shaw faced Cummins, he pulled him for a six. The fifty partnership was brought up in just four overs, with the DC openers firing on all cylinders.Venkatesh Iyer was welcomed with a six and four, as Shaw reached a 20-ball half-century. And although Varun Chakravarthy castled him soon, his innings set the platform for a 200-plus total.
Coming to Rahane, 33-year-old and in the autumn of his dinguished career, there was a question mark over the senior batsman getting a team in this IPL, but KKR bought him at his base price of Rs 1 crore and so far Rahane hasn’t lived up to the challenge.

What. A. Catch! 👏 👏@imShard takes a stunner as @DelhiCapitals have their second success with the ball. 👌 👌@imK_Ahmed13 strikes. 👍 👍#KKR lose Ajinkya Rahane.
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/4vNW3LXMWM#TATAIPL | #KKRvDC pic.twitter.com/DcgrgGyP9l
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 10, 2022
His struggles today weren’t happy viewing for any cricket fan. As KKR began their chase, Mustafizur Rahman hit him on the front pad, with the on-field umpire adjudging him leg-before. DRS saved him, but Rahane was given out leg-before next ball as well. There was an inside edge though and Ultra-edge spotted it. Mustafizur was toying with the opener and much to DC head coach Ricky Ponting’s chagrin, Rishabh Pant decided not to review when Rahane had nicked one behind the stumps.
Shardul, too, had a confident LBW shout against Rahane before he put the latter out of his misery, through a wonderful high catch. Rahane departed for a 14-ball eight, a painstaking stay at the crease.

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The duo of @imShard & @akshar2026 took on Umesh Yadav in some style! 👌 👌 #TATAIPL | #KKRvDC | @DelhiCapitals
Here’s how the action unfolded 🎥 🔽https://t.co/UAcWT0zrQV
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 10, 2022
Mystery unravelled
Narine and Varun, the two KKR spinners, thrive on their mystery. Today, Shaw, Warner and Pant unravelled it, using the sweep shot to brilliant effect.

ICYMI: 1⃣ Six, 2⃣ No-balls, 3⃣ Fours & 2⃣4⃣ Runs!
There was no shortage of action in that one Varun Chakaravarthy over. ⚡️ ⚡️ #TATAIPL | #KKRvDC
Watch 🎥 🔽https://t.co/vXUfbGsChu
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 10, 2022
When Varun tossed one up outside off, Warner slog-swept it over the deep mid-wicket boundary. Narine bowled faster and flatter, and Warner reverse-lapped it over short third man for a four. Shaw, too, swept Narine to the backward square leg boundary.

Pant was even more innovative. A conventional sweep sent a Varun delivery over the deep mid-wicket fence before he reverse-swept the bowler past short third man for another four. Sweep can be a go-to shot for the batsmen against Narine and Varun. Easier said than done though, for Shaw, Warner and Pant showed the quality to stay ahead of the bowlers.