In a high clash between the Delhi Capitals and the Kolkata Knight Riders in Vizag on Wednesday, the former’s performance left much to be desired as they faced a formidable defeat at the hands of the latter. The match witnessed an onslaught of power-hitting from KKR, resulting in a mammoth total of 272/7 in their IPL 2024 fixture, marking the second-highest total in IPL history.
The onslaught commenced with Sunil Narine’s blistering innings, where he notched up his highest T20 score, hammering 85 off just 39 deliveries. Supported by 18-year-old Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s gritty knock of 54 runs, KKR established a dominating position early on in the game. Raghuvanshi’s performance, particularly on his debut, showcased a level of maturity akin to seasoned IPL veterans.
Following the match, DC’s head coach, Ricky Ponting, expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance in a candid statement. Ponting remarked, “It’s pretty hard to assess right now. I was almost embarrassed with that first-half of the game today, to concede that many runs and 17 wides. It took us two hours as well to bowl our overs. We are two overs behind again, so the guys who bowl the last two overs have four players outside the circle.” He further emphasized the need for immediate rectification of the team’s shortcomings to progress in the tournament.
The first innings witnessed DC’s bowlers struggling to contain the onslaught from KKR’s batsmen. Despite taking three wickets, Anrich Nortje conceded 59 runs, while Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, and Rasikh Salam also faced challenges, leaking 43, 43, and 47 runs respectively.
DC’s batting display faltered as KKR registered their highest number of sixes in a single team innings in IPL history, hitting a staggering 18 sixes. This performance eclipsed their previous record set in 2018 against CSK when they smashed 17 sixes.
The defeat serves as a wake-up call for Delhi Capitals, urging them to reassess their strategies and address their shortcomings promptly. As the IPL 2024 season progresses, the team is poised to regroup and deliver stronger performances in the upcoming matches.
