IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals’ home troubles continue as Kolkata Knight Riders keep themselves alive – The Times of India

Delhi Capitals suffered their second straight defeat of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season, taking place by 14-runs to Kolkata Knight Riders on the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday night.
With the win, KKR snapped their three-match winless streak, remained seventh within the standings, and stored their slim hopes of qualifying for the playoffs alive. DC, in the meantime, stay rooted to fourth place, having been subjected to their third home defeat within the capital after 4 matches.
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Opening troubles continue for KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders persevered with the pairing of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine on the prime of the order as Quinton de Kock continued to heat the bench for an unchanged facet. While they did sew the defending champions’ highest opening wicket partnership of the season, it amounted to only 48 runs. It stored the document of KKR being the one franchise to not submit a 50-plus stand on the prime of the batting.
Who’s that IPL participant?
To be honest to KKR and Gurbaz, it took one thing particular from Abishek Porel, behind the stumps, to deliver up the wicket. The 22-yr-outdated plucked a neat low catch after transferring to his proper and acquired his gloves beneath for a secure pair of arms.
Venkatesh Iyer’s troubling season
Venkatesh Iyer, KKR’s large purchase at Rs 23.75 crore, continued to battle this IPL season. After clobbering 404 and 370 runs, respectively, within the final two seasons, he is mustered solely 142 runs up to now after seven innings. He has averaged solely 20.29 and scored at a strike fee of 139.22.
On Tuesday he fell to a nothing shot: swiped throughout the road to an angling ball from Axar Patel, acquired the underside finish of the bat and handed a easy take to Vipraj Nigam at cowl.
The left-hander has scored 4 single-digit scores this season and been despatched again 4 occasions with out even dealing with 10 balls. If you want the maths, Iyer’s acquired 6 runs for each crore that the franchise spent on him.

Big begin, gradual end
Despite the opening-wicket troubles, KKR had a powerful begin on the prime. They took solely 3.4 overs for his or her fifty – their quickest staff fifty this IPL season. They raced off to 79 after the powerplay overs – their second-greatest powerplay present this season.
However, their near the innings did not meet the specified flourish. Even although Rinku Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi put collectively 61 runs from 46 balls within the center, solely 45 runs got here within the last 5 overs.
When Raghuvanshi and Rinku departed in fast succession, with simply six balls between them, KKR misplaced momentum and scored 204/9 – helped partially by Andre Russell’s final-over six that just about smashed a window. DC pulled issues again with three consecutive wickets in Mitchell Starc’s last over.

DC’s woes in opposition to spin
Delhi Capitals had come into the match as one of the groups that had struggled considerably in opposition to spin. They had conceded 23 wickets to spin bowlers, solely fewer than Chennai Super Kings (26) and stage with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
They bow out of their newest fixture as the staff that has struggled essentially the most in opposition to spin with that quantity ballooning to 29 wickets. Varun Chakaravarthy (2/39), Sunil Narine (3/29) and Anukul Roy (1/27) turned the trio that damage them this time.

Narine – chief and sport-changer
In a sport of small margins and each ball presenting a chance, Narine’s third and fourth made the large distinction. With Axar Patel and Faf du Plessis going weapons blazing and steering DC in direction of a doable win, he stepped up and took Axar out first after which Faf to extinguish DC’s possibilities of a win.
If that wasn’t sufficient, he stepped up as captain with Ajinkya Rahane going off the sector to are inclined to an harm. As far as making your expertise rely, Narine did that and extra!