Captain’s knock by Iyer helps Daredevils crush Knight Riders

Set a mammoth total of 220, KKR managed 164 for nine with none of the batsmen crossing the 50-run mark.This was the host’s second win after it beat Mumbai Indians in an away match. Delhi rode on a collective bowling effort to stifle KKR’s chase.

Fast-tracked into captaincy, young Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a scintillating 40-ball 93 as Delhi Daredevils posted a massive 219.

Handed the reins of the team in a crunch time, 23-year-old Iyer, who replaced Gautam Gambhir as captain, sent the ball soaring over the ropes 10 times and hit the fence thrice in his whirlwind innings after Prithvi Shaw (62) became the youngest batsman to score a fifty in IPL.

They added 68 runs for the second wicket after Shaw shared a 59-run partnership for the first wicket with Kiwi batsman Colin Munro (33).

Placed at the bottom of the table, Delhi responded to the grim situation in the best possible manner as the host batsmen fired in unison to post its best total of the season.

Iyer, dropped twice during his knock, creamed off four sixes and a four in the last over bowled by Shivam Mavi to finish the innings in style, amassing 29 runs from the last over.

Glenn Maxwell too played a crucial role in Daredevils’ splendid show with his 27-run knock.

Gambhir, who relinquished the captaincy citing lack of form, sat out of the match.

Munro, playing only his third game of the season, ensured that Daredevils had a fiery start. The Kiwi batsman along with young Shaw negotiated, hitherto, dominating KKR spinners Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav with aplomb, raising fifty in just 4.4 overs. None of the KKR bowlers, save young paceman Mavi, troubled the home openers, who had strokes for all challenges put before them.

Brief scores: Delhi Daredevils 219/4 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 93, Prithvi Shaw 62) bt Kolkata Knight Riders 164/9 in 20 overs (Andre Russell 44, Amit Mishra 2/23)