Our Correspondent
In Match 16 played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 3, Prithvi Shaw and captain Shreyas Iyer helped Delhi Capitals move up the Indian Premier League table with an 18-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shaw (66 off 41 balls) and Iyer (88 not out from 38 balls) followed by Rishabh Pant (38 off 17 balls) helped DC register 228-4, which is the highest total of this IPL season. Kolkata could reach only 210-8, even though Eoin Morgan (44) and Rahul Tripathi (36) tried to provide a lifeline with their quickfire shots.
However, South African fast-bowler Anrich Nortje (3-33) saved the match for DC. Now Capitals have won three of four matches it has played while Kolkata has won two of four games.
Iyer, who smashed six sixes and seven fours was adjudged Player of the Match. Together with Pant, he accumulated 77 runs in the final five overs. Delhi had three half-century partnerships in the start of their innings.
The Knight Riders lost Nitish Rana (58) and captain Dinesh Karthik in successive balls of Harshal Patel (2/34) in the 13th over.
England limited overs’ cricket captain Eoin Morgan’s rapid-fire 44 off 18 deliveries raised hopes, but Nortje felled him.
Opener Sunil Narine (3) was another casualty to Nortje’s bowling. Unfortunately, Narine has made only 27 runs in all four innings at the tournament.
South African paceman Kagiso Rabada got the wicket of Andre Russell who was out for 13. Rabada is the highest wicket-taker in this IPL season with eight scalps along with Mohammed Shami of Kings XI Punjab and Yuzvendra Chahal of Royal Challengers Bangalore.
