IPL 2025 Highlights: Sunil Narine Shines, Leading KKR to a 14-Run Victory Over Delhi Capitals, Keeping Playoff Chances Afloat
Lively Night for Narine as KKR Edge DC!
Sunil Narine was the undisputed star of the show as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) managed to outsmart Delhi Capitals (DC) by a narrow 14-run margin, keeping their playoff hopes alive in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
After demolishing DC's bowling lineup with a brilliant all-round display, Narine amassed 27 runs off 16 deliveries and claimed an impressive 3-29 with the ball, doing his best as the stand-in captain and also running out KL Rahul to top it off.
The KKR batsmen showcased their batting prowess by hammering out quick fifties and posting a challenging total of 204/9 on a pitch that was perfect for batting. DC had an ambitious start, building a 76-run partnership between vice-captain Faf du Plessis and skipper Axar Patel.
However, Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, despite initially giving away runs, came up with crucial double strikes in the 14th and 18th overs that put the brakes on DC's chase. DC's slide from 136/3 to 190/9 proved costly, as they suffered their third loss at their home venue.
Apart from his bowling, Narine led the team excellently in the absence of Ajinkya Rahane, who was injured, and Venkatesh Iyer. Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, and Andre Russell all chipped in with a wicket each, supporting Narine and Chakaravarthy.
DC's chase began on a sour note, with Abishek Porel falling victim to left-arm spinner Anukul Roy, who kept batters restrained by mixing up his deliveries. Faf du Plessis took full advantage of Harshit Rana's pace, smashing him for three boundaries, but Karun Nair succumbed to a straight yorker from Vaibhav Arora.
KKR dealt a heavy blow when KL Rahul was run out by Narine's direct hit from short fine leg. Nevertheless, Faf du Plessis continued to pile on the runs with his aggressive batting, collecting his fifty in only 31 deliveries. Despite suffering an injury to his left hand, Axar Patel did his best to propel DC forward, striking two sixes off Narine.
However, Narine struck back with a destructive double strike in the 14th over, removing Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs. He then returned in his final over to dismiss Faf du Plessis, putting DC on the backfoot.
In the 18th over, Chakaravarthy dealt DC another devastating blow, scalping Ashutosh Sharma and Mitchell Starc to significantly weaken their chances of victory. Despite Vipraj Nigam's resilient attempt, DC failed to close the gap, falling 14 runs short of the target.
KKR opened their innings with Rahmanullah Gurbaz drilling Dushmantha Chameera for boundaries through mid-off and cover-point. Narine seized the opportunity to punish Chameera, using his full bat and dishing out sixes and fours.
Narine and Gurbaz built a strong foundation, but Starc eventually had his revenge as Gurbaz edged a yorker behind to the keeper and was dismissed for 26. Narine then brought up KKR's fastest fifty of the season by pulling Mukesh Kumar for four.
Axar took over as the main threat for DC, removing both Narine and Rahane with a couple of leg-spinning deliveries. Angkrish Raghuvanshi attempted to steady the ship with a series of powerful sixes against Nigam and Mukesh Kumar, but ultimately fell for 44.
In the final few overs, DC hoped to sneak a victory, but Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, and Anukul Roy all fell to precision bowling, resulting in KKR posting a competitive total of 204/9. Russell provided the finishing touches, muscling a couple of stunning sixes to ensure KKR reached an impressive score.
Sources:[1] IPL Stats – IPL Stats[2] ESPNcricinfo – IPL 2025 Stats Centre[3] Cricbuzz – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals, IPL 2025[4] Sportskeeda – IPL 2025: Top Moments from KKR vs DC Match in Delhi
- Sunil Narine's stand-in captaincy performance for KKR was commendable, as he both led the team effectively in Ajinkya Rahane's absence and delivered a match-winning bowling performance against DC, recording figures of 3-29 and scoring 27 runs.
- Rahul was run out by Narine's direct hit from short fine leg, which significantly impacted DC's chase in the crucial match against KKR.
- The sports world lauded Narine's all-round performance, with several replays showcasing his impressive fielding effort in running out KL Rahul and his destructive dominance with both bat and ball that ultimately helped KKR edge out DC by 14 runs.
