Kolkata Knight Riders continued their excellent run in the tournament with a commanding victory over Delhi Capitals, securing a fourth consecutive win in impressive fashion. After their bowlers restricted DC to a modest total of 142 for 8, Finn Allen produced a breathtaking innings, hammering an unbeaten century from just 47 deliveries to finish the chase comfortably.
Delhi’s innings never truly gained momentum despite a brilliant start from Pathum Nissanka. The Sri Lankan batter looked in complete control, scoring 50 runs out of the team’s first 85 while maintaining a strike rate above 170. However, support from the other end was limited, making his contribution even more valuable on a surface that clearly favoured slower bowlers. His dismissal proved to be a turning point when Anukul Roy cleverly drew him out of the crease for a stumping.
At 74 for 2 after eight overs, DC appeared capable of building a strong total. But Kolkata’s spin attack completely changed the rhythm of the match. Roy, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakravarthy squeezed the scoring opportunities and applied relentless pressure through the middle overs. Between the 12th and 16th overs, Delhi managed only 11 runs from 30 balls, a remarkably slow phase rarely seen in IPL history.
Roy played a major role in that collapse. Along with dismissing Nissanka, he also removed Tristan Stubbs with a delivery that sharply contrasted his earlier variation, highlighting his control and awareness. Narine then maintained his economical spell with figures of 1 for 17 from four overs, while Varun finished wicketless but still restricted the flow despite struggling physically during his final over.
Ashutosh Sharma provided some late resistance with an entertaining 39 from 28 deliveries, helping Delhi cross the 140 mark after a long boundary drought.
The chase, however, belonged entirely to Allen. The aggressive opener survived the powerplay for the first time in his IPL career and made full use of the opportunity. After reaching 20 from 17 balls, he shifted gears dramatically and tore apart Delhi’s spin department. Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam repeatedly missed their lengths, and Allen punished them mercilessly with towering shots straight down the ground.
He eventually smashed 10 sixes and completed his maiden IPL century in style with the winning hit. His dominance against spin was extraordinary, scoring 73 runs from just 31 deliveries against slower bowlers at a strike rate of 235.
While KKR’s spinners controlled the match brilliantly, Kuldeep endured another difficult outing, conceding runs at an expensive rate of 13.66 per over. Axar Patel managed a tighter spell but could not prevent Kolkata from cruising to victory.
