IPL 2022: Former knight Kuldeep makes Kolkata pay
Three wickets and just two runs in Mustafizur Rahman’s last over restricted Kolkata Knight Riders’ total to a below-par 146/9. But Delhi Capitals made things difficult for themselves losing two early wickets followed three more in the middle-overs, on the heels of a 65-run third-wicket partnership between David Warner (42) and Lalit Yadav. As they regained the initiative, Axar Patel’s run-out was unnecessary. But KKR suffered their sixth defeat in this IPL, five on the spin, because they didn’t have enough runs on the board. DC won four wickets with an over remaining, while KKR’s team selection suggested desperation.
DC’s MVP
Last year, he didn’t even get a game for KKR before being unceremoniously dumped the franchise ahead of the mega auction. Kuldeep Yadav was recovering from a knee surgery and as the 2022 IPL auction took place, he ran the risk of going unsold. DC bought him for Rs 2 crore and they are revelling in the smart pick. DC so far have four victories, with the chinaman bowler taking the Man of the Match award in all four of them, this game being the latest. He was his old franchise’s nemesis in the first-leg. On Thursday at Wankhede, he spun a web around the KKR batsmen. 4/14 took his tournament tally to 17 scalps.
.@imkuldeep18 scalped 4⃣ wickets and bagged the Player of the Match award as Delhi Capitals beat #KKR. 👏 👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/jZMJFLuj4h #TATAIPL | #DCvKKR pic.twitter.com/Qeqy4ggRW0
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2022
If Umran Malik is the flavour of this IPL, Kuldeep is the resurrection story of the season.
Success begets confidence. Three years ago, Kuldeep cried on the field after being at the receiving end of a Moeen Ali batting assault. He is now playing with a smile. There’s a spring in his step, his body language is positive and on occasions, like he did today, he is making the ball talk. After accounting for Baba Indrajith and Sunil Narine off successive deliveries in his first spell, Kuldeep cancelled out a KKR recovery with the wickets of Shreyas Iyer and Andre Russell in his second. Indrajith, on his IPL debut for KKR, jumped out of the crease and was deceived the flight. Narine was done in the double bluff. A slip was posted, hinting a conventional away-goer. A flipper came instead that zipped off the surface and trapped the batsman leg-before. Much to the Indian cricket’s delight, Kuldeep has also got his zip back.
A return to winning ways for the Delhi Capitals! 👏 👏
The Rishabh Pant-led side beat #KKR 4 wickets & seal their 4⃣th win of the #TATAIPL 2022. 👍 👍
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/jZMJFLuj4h #DCvKKR pic.twitter.com/QCQ4XrJn0P
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2022
Shreyas, the KKR captain, was trying to mount a fightback, upping the ante with a couple of fours against Axar. A Kuldeep wrong’un removed him, via a stunning catch Rishabh Pant. Russell tried his typical strong-armed tactic but fell to Kuldeep’s guile; out stumped. Mustafizur, too, handsomely contributed to the cause, returning with 3/18.
Umesh’s fight
He is an old guard in a field of new-age speed merchants. But Umesh Yadav is having a fine IPL and today also, he spearheaded his team’s pace attack. After dismissing Prithvi Shaw with an excellent return catch in his first ball, the fast bowler returned to bounce out a well-set Warner before getting rid of Pant. At 84/5, the game was wide open. Umesh returned with 3/24 from his four overs but he didn’t have a pace partner to run into the DC lower-order and complement his bowling.
Make that three wickets for @y_umesh 🔥🔥🔥
Rishabh Pant departs for 2 runs.
Live – https://t.co/jZMJFLuj4h #DCvKKR #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/ifopGw7L5t
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2022
Brief scores:
KKR: 146/9 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 42, Nitish Rana 57; Kuldeep Yadav 4/14, Mustafizur Rahman 3/18) lost to DC: 150/6 in 19 overs (David Warner 42; Umesh Yadav 3/24).
