NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders soared to the top of the Indian Premier League 2024 points table after demolishing a lacklustre Delhi Capitals by 106 runs in a stunning display of power-hitting followed by a clinical bowling effort on Wednesday.
Sunil Narine led the charge with a scintillating 85, showcasing his batting prowess with seven boundaries and seven sixes in his 39-ball blitz.Teenager Angkrish Raghuvanshi impressed in his IPL debut innings with a fluent 54 off 27 balls, complementing Narine’s explosive innings as they shared a formidable 104-run partnership off just 48 balls.
As it happened: Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders
With contributions from Andre Russell (41 off 19 balls) and Rinku Singh (26 off 8 balls), Kolkata Knight Riders posted an imposing total of 272/7, just five runs short of the highest total in IPL history.
In response, Delhi Capitals faltered under the pressure of the mammoth target, crumbling to 166 all out in 17.2 overs. Despite skipper Rishabh Pant‘s valiant 55 and Tristan Stubbs‘ gritty 54, the Capitals never looked like they were in the game as they suffered their third loss of the season.

Kolkata’s dominance continued with the ball as pacer Vaibhav Arora and Australian fast bowler Mitchel Starc dismantled Delhi’s top order in the powerplay, dismissing key batsmen including Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, and David Warner.
Delhi’s bowlers endured a forgettable outing, conceding the highest total in the team’s history, as Kolkata Knight Riders hammered 18 sixes and 28 fours. Narine and Raghuvanshi set the tone early on, capitalizing on poor bowling from Delhi to amass 88 runs in the powerplay.

Although Delhi managed to dismiss Narine and Raghuvanshi in quick succession, Russell’s onslaught with the bat further compounded their woes. The Capitals’ bowlers struggled to contain the Knight Riders’ aggressive batting display, ultimately succumbing to a crushing defeat.
(With inputs from PTI)