IPL 2022: Resurgent Delhi Capitals back to winning ways

After posting the highest total (215/5) of the season, the Capitals snuffed out Knight Riders’ challenge through fantastic bowling efforts from Kuldeep Yadav (4/35) and Khaleel Ahmed (3/25).

Kuldeep Yadav of Delhi Capitals celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Umesh Yadav of Kolkata Knight Riders.

A resurgent Delhi Capitals regained its winning touch after it steamrolled over a listless Kolkata Knight Riders by 44 runs in the Indian Premier League match at the Brabourne Stadium here on Sunday.

After posting the highest total (215/5) of the season, the Capitals snuffed out Knight Riders’ challenge through fantastic bowling efforts from Kuldeep Yadav (4/35) and Khaleel Ahmed (3/25).

Shardul Thakur, following his impactful innings of 29 not out, picked up two wickets in the final over to terminate the Knight Riders' innings for 171. Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer (54) provided the only real threat with a half-century.

Knight Riders needed an electric start but it never happened. Venkatesh Iyer (18) flickered briefly but Ajinkya Rahane (8) was all at sea and Khaleel Ahmed snared both the openers to scupper the chase. Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana (30) added 69 runs for the third wicket for a mid-innings resurgence.

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Kuldeep lured Iyer out of his crease for an easy stumping to Rishabh Pant early on and ended with three more wickets to return 4/35.

Earlier, rapid half-centuries from David Warner (61) and Prithvi Shaw (51), Rishabh Pant (27) and Axar Patel (22 not) saw Delhi Capitals post a mammoth 215 for five.

The dynamite pair of Shaw and Warner added 93 runs for the first wicket. Shaw was off the blocks in a flash, punching the first ball of the match from Umesh Yadav for a boundary. The marginal errors from the pace bowlers were punished by Shaw forcing Iyer to summon his mystery spinners - Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine - in the powerplay with little rewards.

Warner deposited Varun Chakravarthy over deep midwicket for a six and then reverse-swept Sunil Narine for a boundary as the Capitals scored 68 runs in the powerplay.

Varun cleaned up Shaw soon after he completed his fifty but it brought no respite to the Knight Riders as Pant went into the attack mode quickly. He clattered Pat Cummins over his head for a six and played his trademark falling sweeps to add 55 runs for the second wicket with Warner.

The Knight Riders pulled things back through Narine, who dismissed Lalit Yadav(1) and Rovman Powell (8) cheaply, but the side ended up conceding 39 runs in the final two overs.