DC vs KK IPL 2023 Highlights: Delhi Register Maiden Win After Beating KKR 4 Wickets

DC vs KK IPL 2023 Highlights: In the 16th edition of IPL, Delhi Capitals successfully opened their account after five consecutive losses. On Thursday at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground against Kolkata Knight Riders, it was not easy for Delhi to reach their target of 128 with four wickets remaining and four deliveries remaining.

Ishant Sharma, Anrich Nortje, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav each took two wickets to help Delhi restrict KKR to 127 runs.

David Warner, the captain of Delhi, scored the most runs with 57 off 41 deliveries. However, his dismissal in the fourteenth over nearly caused Delhi to botch the pursuit. With the exception of Sunil Narine, who conceded 36 runs in four overs, the KKR spinners were very effective at administering the choke. Even part-time off-spinner and KKR captain Nitish Rana was difficult to dismiss. In four overs, he claimed 2 for 17 wickets.

With 31 runs scored in the first three overs of their run chase, Delhi's batting, which had hampered them in their five losses, was off to a blazing start. Warner has been mocked for his strike rate this season, but on Thursday he was able to hit the boundary with relative ease early in his innings.

Even though Prithvi Shaw, who was brought on as an Impact Player, was again dismissed cheaply, Warner led Delhi to 61/1 at the end of the powerplay. KKR may have anticipated that Sunil Narine would be able to stem the flow of runs, but he too was victimized by the left-handed pitcher. In the sixth over of the innings, the experienced spinner conceded four fours.

Mitchell Marsh and Phil Salt were dismissed in consecutive overs, but Warner's wicket was what KKR desired most. After achieving his fifty off 33 deliveries, the Australian would have preferred to see the pursuit through to its conclusion. Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed him in the 14th over of the innings. With 35 required off the final six overs, Delhi should have been able to cross the finish line with greater ease than they did.

The game started an hour later than scheduled due to intermittent rain, and the Delhi bowlers took advantage of the assistance early on. Knight Riders were reduced to 35/3 after six overs, losing all three wickets due to the additional spin on offer. While Litton Das was despatched by pulling a short ball from Mukesh Kumar to square leg fielder Lalit Yadav, Nortje found Venkatesh Iyer's outside edge with a length delivery that pitched on him. The decision by Warner to retain Marsh at slip proved profitable.

During the powerplay, Rana was also dismissed after attempting an aggressive on-drive against Ishant but only managing to strike the ball to Kumar at mid-on.Mandeep Singh struck a six during his 11-ball 12 against Axar, but he was too arrogant for his own good. He was dismissed after attempting a ramp over short fine-leg for four and failing to connect.

Soon thereafter, left-handed hitters Rinku Singh and Narine struck out while attempting to hit home runs. Ishant dismissed Narine and concluded with outstanding stats of 4-0-19-2. The 34-year-old pacer made a notable return to the competition after going unsold last season.

At one extreme, Jason Roy has remained constant throughout. The England opener, making his debut for Kolkata Knight Riders, began with consecutive fours against Kumar, clipping a delivery on the pads through midwicket and then driving a ball outside off-stump through cover.

But as wickets continued to fall, so did Roy. After the powerplay, his only boundary for the next seven overs was a six over long-on against Kuldeep in the tenth over.

At 77/6 after 13 overs, KKR needed some boundaries desperately. Andre Russell's drive over midwicket for six and Roy's cut through point for four produced 15 runs in Marsh's over, but any hopes of a swift partnership were dashed by the opener's dismissal in the very next over. He botched a sweep off a googly to Aman Khan at deep back square leg. Kuldeep continued to bowl googlies with his next delivery, trapping KKR impact sub Anukul Roy leg-before wicket.

With KKR having lost nine wickets with 26 deliveries remaining, Russell was solely responsible for finding the boundary. Russell had a peculiar batting performance. At the beginning of the twentieth over, he had confronted 25 balls for only 19 runs. In Kumar's final over, he made reparations by hitting three consecutive sixes.