Table of Contents
Kolkata Knight Riders registered a crucial 14-run win over Delhi Capitals in a high-scoring Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 encounter at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. Batting first, KKR posted a commanding 204/9 on the back of explosive knocks from Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sunil Narine and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
In response, DC fought valiantly with half-centuries from Faf du Plessis and a Vipraj blistering cameo from Nigam, but fell short at 190/9. Sunil Narine starred with the ball, claiming three key wickets, including du Plessis and Axar Patel. The Capitals’ chase was promising but lost momentum in the death overs due to disciplined KKR bowling. With this win, KKR climbs higher in the points table while DC’s playoff hopes take another hit.
Top-order blitz and Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s stability power KKR to 204
KKR’s aggressive approach at the top laid a solid foundation as Gurbaz smashed a 12-ball 26 in the powerplay. Narine continued his all-round form with a brisk 27, while skipper Ajinkya Rahane added a 14-ball 26 to keep the tempo high. Raghuvanshi anchored the middle overs with a composed 44 off 32 balls, blending strokeplay with calculated risks. Rinku Singh’s 36 off 25 further bolstered the total, despite DC striking back in the death with quick wickets. Mitchell Starc was the pick of the DC bowlers with 3/43, removing key batters late in the innings. Axar and Nigam supported well with two wickets each, but leaked runs early in their spells. Despite losing momentum in the final over with a triple blow, KKR crossed the 200-run mark for the second time this season. This total proved to be just enough as it put the Delhi under pressure right from the start of the chase.
Sunil Narine’s bowling brilliance and middle-order collapse derail Delhi Capitals’s chase
Delhi’s reply began with the early loss of Abishek Porel, but du Plessis’ classy 62 kept hopes alive during the powerplay. Karun Nair and KL Rahul couldn’t capitalize on starts, and a double blow in the 14th over broke DC’s momentum. Axar played a crucial hand, scoring 43 off just 23 with 4 fours and 3 sixes, forming a vital stand with du Plessis. However, Narine turned the game by dismissing both set batters in a brilliant spell of 3/29.
Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma failed to contribute meaningfully as pressure mounted in the final overs. Vipraj gave DC a fighting chance with an explosive 38 off 19 balls, targeting Harshit Rana for boundaries. Yet, Andre Russell and Varun Chakravarthy’s tight overs ensured that wickets kept falling at the other end. With more than 15 runs needed off the final over, Nigam’s dismissal sealed the fate as DC fell short despite their valiant attempt. Narine’s clutch performance with both bat and ball earned him the match honors in this crucial fixture.
Also WATCH: Dushmantha Chameera takes ‘catch of the IPL 2025’ to remove Anukul Roy during DC vs KKR clash
Here’s how fans reacted:
Sunil Narine is undoubtedly the biggest legend of KKR. pic.twitter.com/rnAIEOFucW
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) April 29, 2025
In the last two IPL seasons, Sunil Narine has been KKR’s top scorer with 664* runs at a strike rate of 180. What’s crazy is he’s scored more runs than guys like Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Prabhsimran Singh, and Rajat Patidar in that time…
— Abhishek AB (@ABsay_ek) April 29, 2025
Narine deserves more share than Aryan and Suhana in Srk's property
— Prithvi (@Prithvi10_) April 29, 2025
This, from Narine, is one of the best performances of the season. Singlehandedly brought KKR back in the game…
— Shaan Waseem (@shaanwaseem2) April 29, 2025
Narine is IPL GOAT. Greatest to play for KKR. Just for his bowling he'll enter the team. But he also gives you fiery batting.
— N (@Vk_is_goat) April 29, 2025
Build a stadium and name it after Sunil Narine. That's bare minimum we can do for him for what he's done for KKR over the years. @iamsrk
— S H A H I D. (@Irfy_Pathaan56) April 29, 2025
500- year-old Sunil Narine is still a game changer with his bowling AND captaincy. This KKR team is nutttsssss 😂🏏
Meanwhile, DC’s self destruction needs to be studied in a lab. #IPL2025— Sohini M. (@Mittermaniac) April 29, 2025
Narine has ensured Delhi bottles this game. Two overs… Man turned the game upside down
— arfan (@Im__Arfan) April 29, 2025
DC have found ways to lose and today is another case. 136/3, 189/9. 60 odd in 8 overs. Too many back to back wickets. Not to forget how poorly Porel, Karun and even KL got out.
They are slipping here, let's see if KP, Badani can arrest the collapse.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) April 29, 2025
Brilliant bowling performance from KKR 🔥🏏#Cricket #DCvKKR #SunilNarine #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/V0kHD6fVN0
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) April 29, 2025
