DC, KKR
DC beat KKR by 18 runs [Photo-Twitter]

A brilliant final over by Marcus Stoinis ensured that late heroics by Eoin Morgan and Rahul Tripathi weren’t enough for KKR to overhaul the highest run-chase [229] in IPL history as Delhi Capitals [DC] eventually completed an 18-run-win in Sharjah on Saturday.

Kolkata Knight Riders needed a flying start to their run-chase and while Sunil Narine was once again dismissed cheaply, Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana ensured that they indeed got off to a flier, paving way for them to eventually score 59 runs in the powerplay.

But the introduction of Amit Mishra in the attack proceeded to put breaks to the run-scoring. Mishra gave away just 2 runs in his first over and even he dropped a caught & bowled chance, he was eventually rewarded in the next over as Shubman Gill top-edged an attempted sweep.

DC, KKR
Kagiso Rabada dismissed Andre Russell [Photo-Twitter]
With Dre Russ in the house, Shreyas Iyer turned to his ace fast bowler in Kagiso Rabada, and even though the swashbuckler smashed him for a boundary and a six straight over his, Rabada had the last laugh as he hurried Russell with a pacy hard length delivery, only for the West Indian to mistime the attempted pull-stroke. Rabada- 1, Russell- 0

Nitish Rana completed his half-century in 20 balls before smashing Harshal Patel for a six and a four. He, however, eventually fell to Patel thanks to a mistimed hoike on mid-wicket. Harshal Patel got two in two after he hurried Dinesh Karthik (6 off 8 balls) for pace, leading to mistimed pull, one that ended up in mid-on’s hand. KKR- 5-118 in 13 overs.

With the cream of their batting gone and 111 still needed off the last 7 overs, the Knight Riders needed a miracle for the ages; they needed something special from Eoin Morgan and Rahul Tripathi, who to the surprise of everyone excluding the KKR’s think-tank, came out to bat at the No. 08 spot.

DC, KKR
Eoin Morgan [Photo-IPL]
Eoin Morgan showed why he should have come above DK in the batting-order as he racked his way to a 10-ball 22 with the help of 2 six and 1 four. Rahul Tripathi laid into Marcus Stoinis in the next over for three sixes and a boundary to take the equation to 54 off the last 18 balls.

Eoin Morgan started the next over with a hattrick of monstrous sixes off Rabada as KKR came storming back into the contest, having scored 42 runs in the last nine balls. Tripathi survived a close caught-behind call on the penultimate ball of the 19th over before nailing the last one for a four to reduce it to 31 off 12.

Morgan eventually fell for a 18-ball 42 as he mistimed an attempted flick off Anrich Nortje. The DC fast bowler bowled a brilliant penultimate over, leaving 26 runs in the bank for Marcus Stoinis to defend.

Rahul Tripathi started the final over with a boundary past wide of backward point but the Australian effectively killed the contest on the second delivery, shattering Tripathi’s (36 off 16 balls) stumps.

Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw’s whirlwind knocks paved the way for DC to post 4-228 vs KKR

It was expected to be another six-hitting fest in Sharjah and that is exactly what it turned out to be on Saturday. Shikhar Dhawan looked in brilliant form right from the outset as he smashed a whirlwind 16-ball 26- an innings which included two sixes off Sunil Narine.

Dhawan, however, failed to convert his start and was eventually dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy. Prithvi Shaw once again displayed his brilliant run-of-form against Kolkata Knight Riders, as he along with skipper Shreyas Iyer flayed the bowling attack to all corners of the stadium.

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DC, KKR
Prtihvi Shaw [Photo-Twitter]
Shaw completed his second half-century of the season- his 3rd in 4th innings vs KKR- with a flat batted six over long-on off Kamlesh Nagarkoti. Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, was at his swashbuckling best against the spinners as he took both Narine and Chakravarthy to the cleaners.

Shaw was eventually dismissed when he mistimed a lofted stroke off Kamlesh Nagarkoti, only for Shubman Gill to complete an easy catch at long-on. Iyer continued the onslaught as the DC skipper scored his fastest IPL fifty (in 26 balls).

Rishabh Pant got into his groove after a scratchy start, smashing Shivam Mavi for three fours in the 16th over.

DC, KKR
Shreyas Iyer [Photo-Twitter]
But Iyer looked like he was batting on a completely different level today. Even Pat Cummins wasn’t spared. The DC skipper greeted Cummins with a six and two boundaries in the next over as the Capitals motored along to 2-186 in 17 overs. Rishabh Pant (38 off 16 balls) joined the fun in the next over as he took Andre Russell to the cleaners, smashing him for a monstrous six and consecutive boundaries before eventually holing out to Shivam Mavi at the long-on boundary.

Dinesh Karthik turned to spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Shreyas Iyer, like he always does, cashed in big time, smashing him for two sixes and a four to take 20 runs from the over.

The DC skipper (88 off 38 balls) missed his 100 s Andre Russell’ brilliant last over did not allow him to take strike but by then his onslaught ensured that the Capitals posted 4-228 in 20 overs.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to DC’s win over KKR:

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