SUNIL NARINE put in an all-round performance as Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Delhi Capitals by 14 runs in the IPL on Tuesday to stay in contention for the play-offs.
Narine scored 27 off 16 balls in Kolkata’s total of 204-9 and later took 3-29 to restrict Delhi to 190-9 at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground. He was named player of the match.
"It was a total team effort," Narine said after the match.
Delhi’s Faf du Plessis scored 62 off 45 balls, but regular wickets hurt their chase. Delhi are now fourth in the 10-team table. Kolkata, last year’s champions, are seventh with four wins and five losses.
The top four teams at the end of the league stage qualify for the play-offs.
Du Plessis steadied Delhi after Abishek Porel’s early dismissal, but the team was reduced to 60-3 when KL Rahul was run out by a direct hit from Narine.
Returning after missing four matches due to injury, Du Plessis reached his half-century in 31 balls and added 76 runs with captain Axar Patel, who made 43.
Narine broke the stand in his second spell by dismissing Axar and bowled Tristan Stubbs for one in the same over.
"After 13 overs, those two overs from Sunil, when he picked those wickets, that was the game for us," said KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane.
Narine then dismissed Du Plessis in his final over. Vipraj Nigam kept Delhi in the game with 38 off 19 balls but fell to Andre Russell in the last over.
"I asked guys in the team meeting that all I want for my birthday is a win," said Russell, who turned 37 on Tuesday. "Most amazing T20 league, just scheduling a game on my birthday, want to tell thanks for that."
Earlier, Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave Kolkata a quick start with a 48-run opening stand in 18 balls. Narine hit a first-ball six off Dushmantha Chameera, and the pair took 25 runs from the second over.
Starc got Gurbaz out for 26. Delhi hit back with Vipraj Nigam trapping Narine lbw and Axar Patel dismissing Rahane for 26.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi made 44 and added 61 with Rinku Singh. Chameera dismissed Raghuvanshi, and Nigam removed Rinku for 36 in the next over.
Russell helped push Kolkata past 200 with a six off Starc, who then took two wickets in two balls. Starc trapped Rovman Powell lbw and dismissed Anukul Roy for a duck, with Chameera taking a diving catch in the deep.
(With inputs from agencies)
