New Delhi [India]: Following Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) crucial 14-run victory over Delhi Capitals (DC), veteran spinner Sunil Narine lauded his teammates for their collective effort, which helped them bounce back strongly in the IPL 2025 campaign.
Superb with the bat 😎
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2025
Skillful with the ball 🫡
Sunil Narine bags the Player of the Match award for his superb all-round performance 🏆
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/saNudbWaXT #TATAIPL | #DCvKKR | @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/zUuD7OEIC3
The win at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday was a much-needed one for KKR, breaking their string of losses and reigniting hopes of a playoff push. Narine, who delivered a match-winning spell of 3/29, was pivotal in derailing DC’s chase after a solid stand between Faf Du Plessis and Axar Patel.
“It was a total team effort,” Narine said during the post-match presentation. “We started in the middle overs with Anky (Angkrish) and Rinku with the bat. I still back myself to come back and deliver for the team. There are games when you start well and struggle and then there are games that you do not begin well and end well.”
Reflecting on his key contribution, including a run-out of KL Rahul, Narine added:
“It’s all wickets. It is not one wicket that I enjoy. Not the greatest fielder, but it is always good to get a good run-out whenever possible. Just swing and throw the ball as hard as possible.”
“Always want to be able to give the captain an option of going for you in a pressure situation. If you want to be that player, you have to do the hard work even when there’s no training,” Narine concluded.
Match Recap:
DC won the toss and chose to field first. KKR’s top order responded with blistering knocks:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 26 (12), 5 fours, 1 six
- Sunil Narine: 27 (16), 2 fours, 2 sixes
- Ajinkya Rahane: 26 (14), 4 fours, 1 six
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi: 44 (32), 3 fours, 2 sixes
- Rinku Singh: 36 (25), 3 fours, 1 six
A crucial 61-run stand between Raghuvanshi and Rinku helped KKR post 204/9 in their 20 overs.
Also SEE : KKR Spin Duo Narine And Varun Seal 14-Run Win Over DC After Batting Fireworks In Delhi
For DC, the pick of the bowlers were:
- Mitchell Starc: 3/43
- Vipraj Nigam: 2/41
- Axar Patel: 2/27
DC’s Chase and Collapse:
DC lost early wickets but regrouped through a 76-run partnership between:
- Faf Du Plessis: 62 (45), 7 fours, 2 sixes
- Axar Patel: 43 (23), 4 fours, 3 sixes
At 136/3 in 14 overs, DC appeared in control. But the breakthrough came when Narine dismissed Axar, sparking a collapse to 160/8. Vipraj Nigam provided resistance with a rapid 38 off 19 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes), but DC ultimately fell short, ending at 190/9 in 20 overs.
Top bowlers for KKR:
- Sunil Narine: 3/29
- Varun Chakravarthy: 2/39
- Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, and Andre Russell: 1 wicket each
Points Table Impact:
- KKR: 7th place, 4 wins, 5 losses (8 points)
- DC: 4th place, 6 wins, 4 losses (12 points)
- Delhi’s Home Record: Just 1 win in 4 games at home