DC vs KKR Highlights IPL 2023: DC 128/6 (19.2), KKR 127 all out (20) - Delhi beats Kolkata by 4 wickets

Nerves of steel from Axar Patel as he survived, fought and stayed till the end to take his team home as Delhi beats Kolkata by 4 wickets. A relieved DC camp as they notch the first points on the board and this will be a special win. Khejroliya was tasked with a job to defend seven runs from the final over but a couple from the first two balls followed by a no-ball made the work light for Axar who hit the winning shot. It’s 20 minutes past midnight and what a thrilling encounter this has been.

Axar Patel has struggled as the swings haven’t connected and there’s a lot of cat-and-mouse game between Rana and Lalit Yadav. The batsman shaped for a reverse hit and Rana pulled off. What midnight drama! But this has been sensational from Kolkata and Rana’s tactics have been brilliant. Axar survives a stumping scare as Delhi needs seven runs from six balls. Six runs for a Super Over!

What a top over from Varun as he gives just three runs to finish with 4-1-16-2 and that’s a gem of a spell from the mystery spinner. Rana goes for unsuccessful reviews but those dot balls have further put the pressure on Delhi

Now Rana strikes and he removes Aman Hakim Khan for a duck and this is going all the way down to the wire. Lalit Yadav was almost back to the pavilion but the fielder at mid-wicket failed to latch on to it. The Delhi dugout is almost in a state of disbelief.

Oh dear! What have you done Manish Pandey and KKR is right back in this game with Roy picking Pandey. Hits one straight to Pandey at long-on and KKR with a string of wickets are right in this game. DC needs 18 from 24 balls.

Axar Patel is off the mark with a single and the fall of Warner has put pressure on Delhi. A very sloppy fielding from Andre Russell helped Pandey pocket a boundary and get the 100 up for his team and then Axar cut Narine for another boundary to ease some nerves in the Delhi dressing room.

Varun breaks the stand and Warner falls for a brilliant 41-ball 57 and his knock consisted of 11 hits to the fence. A reverse sweep that went wrong as Warner was trapped, the skipper reviewed it but the ball was heading on to the stumps and the umpire’s decision stays. Kolkata strikes back with the wicket of Warner but Delhi will be cautious of not losing the plot from here. A wicket maiden as Axar Patel walks in.

The partnership is worth 26 runs and Delhi needs just 35 runs from 42 balls. Both Warner and Pandey are batting sensibly without taking unwanted risks.

Top over from Varun as he gives just four runs with Warner and Pandey relying on singles and unable to get underneath the ball while trying to play the big shot. Delhi back on track and looks favourite to win the match.

Warner gets to his half-century and this is an excellent knock as the batsman gets to his milestone off 35 balls and has led from the front. Pandey then skipped down the track and blasted the spinner for a boundary and the umpire was lucky not to get knocked down.

Nitish Rana and Anukul Roy have stalled Delhi’s progress and this is a good strategy by the KKR spinner. There is a bit of momentum going away from Delhi with Warner nearing his half-century in the company of Manish Pandey.

Anukul Roy into the attack and he takes an excellent caught and bowled to remove Philip Salt and Delhi slightly off the track in a small chase. Manish Pandey is off the mark with a single to long-off and Warner retains strike with the spinner bowling a brilliant over giving two runs and picking a wicket.

Nitish Rana brings himself into the attack and the KKR skipper strikes by removing Marsh as the batsman fails to get the distance and was taken by the fielder at long-off. Phil Salt joins Warner and the batsman drills Rana to the wide long-off boundary to get off the mark in style. Warner with 10 boundaries is five short of his half-century.

Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy into the attack and he begins well by giving just one run from his over as Mitch Marsh played five dot balls and took a single to retain strike. Warner is en route to his half-century.

The fifty comes up for Delhi inside the PowerPlay and Warner is leading from the front. The skipper takes on Sunil Narine by smashing four boundaries in the over, playing shots all around the ground and gets 17 runs to end the PowerPlay on high.

Shaw welcomed Varun Chakaravarthy into the attack with a brilliant cut shot through the backward point region but the bowler hit back by castling the opener with Shaw getting an inside edge. Another poor outing with the bat and it’s the mystery spinner who broke the 38-run opening stand. Warner looks dangerous as he pulls a short ball to the deep square leg boundary.

Sunil Narine into the attack and Warner has gotten off the blocks in a flash. Important for the openers to stay at the wicket and ensure Delhi reaches the target quickly and with wickets in hand, just to boost its net run-rate. Just three of the over as Narine starts well.

Warner seems to be in some mood as takes full toll of a free-hit as Russell bowls a no-ball and then muscles the all-rounder to the deep mid-wicket boundary, making the PowerPlay count and giving Delhi a good start. Kolkata needs early wickets to make a match out of the game.

Kulwant Khejroliya gets punished in his opening over as Shaw welcomed the pacer with a boundary to mid-off and then Warner employed a pull as the ball beats the keeper and runs away to the fine-leg boundary. The Delhi skipper then hammers the pacer with a brilliant cut through the point to get the run chase cracking.

Warner gets going with a brilliant pull over the mid-wicket and Delhi will look to gun down the total quickly to improve its new run-rate. Prithvi Shaw is also off the mark with a single as Umesh Yadav finished the over with a brilliant bumper that Warner swayed away.

The change of bat finally worked for Russell as the West Indian smoked Mukesh for a hat-trick of sixes to provide some impetus to the innings. 19 runs came from Mukesh’s last over but still, the fast bowler finished with good figures of 4-0-34-1. Delhi will back itself to chase the target after coming out with a terrific bowling show with all bowlers delivering the goods. The squad seems to be rejuvenated under Warner’s leadership with Kuldeep, Anrich Nortje, Axar Patel and Ishant Sharma sharing eight wickets among themselves. Mukesh picked one wicket with Varun Chakaravarthy falling short of his crease. Will be back for the chase in a bit.

Russell asked for a change in bat after mistiming a short delivery from Kuldeep. The wrist spinner hurried the batsman by bowling quick through the air and not giving the batsman any room as the big hits desert Kolkata. Top bowling from Kuldeep and gives just three runs.

Nortje received medical treatment after Russell smashed a delivery that hit straight on his ankle and he was in some pain. The bowler was back on his feet and the big-hitter finally connected and went for a wild swing as the ball crossed the third-man boundary.

Excellent over from Mukesh Kumar as the fast bowler tied down Russell and the big-hitter failed to get the big shots under his belt and just took a single off the fifth delivery. The 100 is up for Kolkata, courtesy of a wide as Mukesh finished the over with a dot ball.

Nortje strikes and Russell is running out of partners and Kevin Pietersen, on air, is fuming on Russell’s decision to get Umesh Yadav on strike. Nortje picks his second wicket and this has been a poor batting display from Kolkata.

That’s the end of a very good knock from Jason Roy as Kuldeep Yadav strikes. Roy departs for a 39-ball 43 and watched his mates fall from the other end. Impact Player Anukul Roy was trapped by Kuldeep in his very first ball and although the batsman went for the review, the on-field umpire’s call stayed as Kolkata lost its eighth wicket. Kuldeep missed out on a hat-trick but has put Delhi firmly on top.

Andre Russell muscles Marsh into the deep mid-wicket stands and it was an 85-metre six. That was some shot as the batsman stayed inside the crease and slapped the ball for a brilliant maximum. Top shot and Kolkata needs more of those.

Andre Russell walks in with Kolkata in trouble and knowing the West Indian he will go for his shots with the intention to up the ante and put pressure on the opposition. The good part is Roy is still there in the middle and this partnership will be vital for Kolkata.

Ishant Sharma picks his second wicket and the pacer gets the dangerous Sunil Narine and Delhi is in complete control of the match. The short ball does the trick as Narine pulls and Warner takes a good catch at deep mid-wicket. Ishant has brought all his experience and bowls an excellent spell as he finishes with 4-0-19-2.

Huge moment in the game as Axar Patel removes Rinku Singh as the batsman flicked the spinner straight into the hands of the fielder at deep square leg and Lalit Yadav makes no mistake. Axar picks his second to leave Kolkata five down.

Kuldeep Yadav starts in an expensive fashion as Roy smokes the spinner for a 91-metre maximum straight into the second tier and that was some shot. 10 runs come from Kuldeep’s opening over.

Axar Patel strikes and Kolkata continues to slip further. The spinner cleans up Mandeep who fell to an ambitious ramp shot. Rinku Singh comes and immediately employed a reverse sweep as the ball raced away to the backward point boundary.

Mitchell Marsh into the attack and Mandeep breaks away from the shackles with a brilliant six over the deep fine leg. It was a brilliant pickup shot and Kolkata could have been four down but Marsh dropped Roy and that should have been taken. A skier that went very high as Roy tried to smash a short delivery, got a top edge and the bowler made a mess of it.

Spin into the attack and it’s Axar Patel who has been introduced into the attack. There is a bit of turn and bounce as Mandeep Singh found out. A big shout for an lbw appeal against Roy, who attempted a reverse sweep but Warner doesn’t take the review. Good start by Axar

Ishant Sharma joins the party as the veteran pacer removes Nitish Rana as Kolkata loses three inside the PowerPlay. The Kolkata skipper fails to clear mid-on as Mukesh Kumar took an excellent catch to dent the visitors. Delhi on top after completion of PowerPlay.

Mukesh Kumar bowls an excellent over and the Delhi bowlers are hitting the hard lengths, not providing any width to the KKR batsmen and they are making the most after winning the toss and opting to bat. Just two runs from his second over and that’s terrific bowling.

Nortje strikes early as Venkatesh Iyer falls and Kolkata is in trouble after being asked to bat first. This is top bowling as Nortje induced an outside edge to dismiss Iyer for a duck. Nitish Rana walks in to join Roy.

There is no stopping Roy as he exhibited a brilliant flick through the mid-wicket and Ishant responded by bowling a jaffa as the ball almost got the outside edge. Venkatesh Iyer faced his first ball and left it alone.

Mukesh Kumar strikes as he removes Litton Das early after getting punished for a couple of boundaries. Lalit Yadav took an excellent catch as he judged the top edge well to hand Mukesh his first wicket of the match. Roy, meanwhile, is looking in a magnificent form showing class and elegance.

Litton Das and Jason Roy open the innings for Kolkata with Das opening his account with a lovely shot through the covers as Ishant Sharma found a hint of swing and movement on a pitch that was under the covers for a long time. Roy, too, is off the mark as Kolkata gets up and running after being asked to bat first.

Jason Roy, Litton Das(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana(c), Mandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Kulwant Khejroliya, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy

David Warner(c), Philip Salt(w), Mitchell Marsh, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Aman Hakim Khan, Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar

The match will start in 10 minutes from now and the good news is there has been no deduction in overs. The rain has cleared and the coin has landed in the favour of the home side.

Delhi Capitals wins toss, opts to bowl first

Well, the toss has been delayed for over an hour now with the rain teasing spectators, players and match officials. The inspection has been postponed once again and let’s hope we get a game.

This is a bit frustrating for fans and the players as the covers are back on again and the inspection has been pushed to 8:15 PM

We should have the toss and the start of play soon as the umpires and out in the middle. Awaiting for an official confirmation.

The next inspection is at 8:00 PM and the rain has stopped. Hope the heavens don’t open up again!

“Pretty confident heading into this game, not because of the hundred but for the way I have been approaching the game, which is more important in terms of my batting. I am extremely satisfied with that. Most important thing is that everyone understands their role very clearly. The communication is very good, and there have been instances where there’ve been collapses, but still, we have managed to put up a very good score on the board. That speaks a lot about our batting depth, will look to carry that forward. We will have to bring our A game, we have played good cricket, but we have missed out on a few important aspects of the game, few overs here and there. It’s a crucial game, and we’ll look to win it somehow.”

The covers are back on the field and that’s not great news. There is a slight drizzle in the air with the super sopper doing the rounds in the outfield. The delay continues.

The covers have been peeled off and the inspection is scheduled to be held at 7:45 PM.

Live pictures show the players practising on the sidelines but the covers are firmly on. An inspection is scheduled in a while and we will certainly give an idea of whether it will be a shortened or a full game.

The inspection will be now at 7:30 PM, says the IPL official website

We have an official word and the news is the inspection will be held at 7:15 PM.

There is no further prediction of rain in the evening and we should have a full match on our hands. Both teams will be hoping to pocket a win tonight

The good news is there is no rain at the moment and we should have a start shortly. The covers are on and the umpires are on the field.

The toss has been delayed due to rain and there will be inspection shortly.

“Honestly, with the coming of the Impact Player rule, the number of overs an all-rounder is bowling has dropped down drastically. Obviously, if a team has a specialist bowler as their sixth bowler and then they don’t want to try their all-rounder. This is what the Impact Player rule has brought. It has lessened the utility of all-rounders”

In the last five encounters between the two sides, Capitals has dominated the Knight Riders, winning four times. KKR and DC shared a victory each when both teams met last season.

Kolkata has faced off against Delhi 27 times in the IPL since 2008, holding a 14-12 win-loss advantage. One match featuring the two teams was washed out.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), N Jagadeesan, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana(c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakaravarthy, Suyash Sharma, Mandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, David Wiese, Tim Southee, Jason Roy, Litton Das, Kulwant Khejroliya, Harshit Rana, Aarya Desai

David Warner(c), Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Yash Dhull, Manish Pandey, Abishek Porel(w), Axar Patel, Aman Hakim Khan, Lalit Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Kumar, Sarfaraz Khan, Chetan Sakariya, Praveen Dubey, Rilee Rossouw, Rovman Powell, Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Philip Salt, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ripal Patel, Vicky Ostwal

Wicketkeeper: N Jagadeesan

Batters: David Warner, Nitish Rana (vc), Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Manish Pandey

All-rounders: Axar Patel (c), Andre Russell

Bowlers: Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy

Team Composition: DC 5:6 KKR | Credits Left: 10

Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, David Wiese, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anukul Roy.

Jason Roy, N Jagadeesan (wk), Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakaravarthy, Suyash Sharma.

Jason Roy, N Jagadeesan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer , Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakaravarthy

Prithvi Shaw, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, Phil Salt, Sarfaraz Khan.

David Warner (c), Mitchell Marsh, Yash Dhull, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Aman Khan, Abishek Porel (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Mustafizur Rahman.

David Warner (c), Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Yash Dhull, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Aman Khan, Abishek Porel (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje.