Suyash SrivastavaNew Delhi: In a match that was predicted to be a clash between the titans, it was the Kolkata Knight Riders who were the better of the two sides as they defeated Delhi Daredevils by 6 wickets at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground. Both Sehwag and Gambhir provided good start to their teams, but it was the latter who was more effective in this particular match.
Scorecard»I Points table »I As it happened»
It was the sixth successive win for Kolkata Knight Riders who also grabbed the top spot surpassing the Daredevils. With their all-round performance, Kolkata once again showed that they have become a force to reckon with in this season and they have the ability to trounce the best of teams.
Sehwag won the toss and he decided to bat first. He along with David Warner who replaced Kevin Pietersen got off their side to a flyer as they scored 40 runs off the first 21 balls.
Pradeep Sangwan who replaced Pawan Negi went for 17 runs off his first over after a maiden bowled by Brett Lee. Sehwag began his innings with a boundary over covers and hit Sangwan for a magnificent Six in the same over. They continued their brutal onslaught in Lee’s second over as the Australian went for 17 in the third over.
Kallis was brought in as a first replacement as he got the major breakthrough and he scalped Sehwag in the fourth over when he was caught plumb in front of the wicket. In his short stay on the crease, Sehwag had bludgeoned 23 runs off just 9 balls. Kallis used his experience to get rid of Warner (21 from 19) who could work no magic in his first match of this season. Kallis almost got rid of Mahela who clearly nicked a ball in the last ball of the same over, but the umpire rejected the appeal. At the end of the over Mahela and Gambhir exchanged a few heated words.
Taylor once again disappointed with the bat as he scored just 16 runs off 27 balls and couldn’t score a single boundary. The only time he decided to hit one was when he was caught at long-off in Sangwan’s last over. It was Irfan Pathan’s 22-ball 36 which helped Delhi cross the 150 run mark. Four wickets fell in the last over bowled by Sunil Narine, who continued to deceive batsmen.
Gambhir and McCullum utilized the field restrictions as they scored 60 runs in the first six overs. Gambhir was once again on song as he smashed Shahbaz Nadeem for 16 runs in the fourth over. Varun Aaron who was introduced in the seventh over provided a breakthrough as he bowled the Kolkata skipper in the last ball of his first over. Umesh Yadav had dropped Gambhir off the previous delivery but he could not make the most of that chance as he was bowled for 36(21b).
Jacques Kallis once again made a useful contribution with the bat as he scored 30 runs from 27 balls before being dismissed off a short ball from Umesh Yadav. Yadav scalped McCullum off the next ball as Yusuf Pathan denied him a hat-trick. These two strikes came too late as Kolkata needed just 20 runs from 24 balls.
Delhi batsmen were tested today once Sehwag was dismissed early and their failure proved that he has been the driving force for them right through the tournament. Gambhir on the other hand looked once again in-form for his 36 runs and once he departed, McCullum joined the party and proved his worth in the Kolkata dugout.
While it was a good show by the Kolkata bowlers, Sehwag could not make the maximum use of his pace attack which had the likes of Morkel, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron. Gambhir has been receiving praise from all corners and he once again proved his worth with his leadership skills.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.