A superb Super Over display by Kagiso Rabada secured victory for the Delhi Capitals over the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, writes SIMON LEWIS.
Batting first, Kolkata recovered from 5-61 at the start of the 10th over to lift their score to a competitive 185-8 off their 20 overs.
Dinesh Karthik played a key role in stroking 50 runs off 36 balls with five fours and two sixes (S/R 138.88), but it was Andre Russell who lit the innings up with his breathtaking innings of 62 off 28 balls. Russell’s runs came at a rate of 221.42 per 100 balls and included four fours and six sixes.
Harshal Patel picked up 2-40, while Proteas stars Kagiso Rabada (1-41) and Chris Morris (1-35) were also among the Kolkata wickets.
In response, Shikhar Dhawan blasted 16 off 8 balls, with two fours and a six (S/R 200.00) in putting on 27 for the first wicket with Indian teen sensation Prithvi Shaw inside the first three overs.
Shaw and skipper Shreyas Iyer pushed the rate along superbly to reduce the asking rate to under nine runs to the over heading into the final eight overs, before Iyer fell for 43 off 32 balls (4×4, 2×6, S/R 134.37).
Shaw dominated a stand of 54 with Rishabh Pant (11 off 15), with both batsmen falling within four balls of each another. Shaw was caught off a spiralling hook by the keeper after scoring a magnificent 99 runs off 55 balls with 12 fours and three sixes (S/R 180.00).
A terrific final over by Kuldeep Yadav saw Delhi fail to get the required six runs for victory, Yadav conceding just five runs as the match finished in a tie.
In the Super Over, Delhi scored 10 runs to set up a shootout between big-hitting Russell and the fiery Rabada. Russell flicked the first ball (a full toss on leg) to square for four, which was followed by a superb yorker for a dot ball. The third ball was perfection, landing a foot short of the middle stump, which was torn out of the ground to leave Kolkata needing seven from three.
A yorker off the fourth ball was squirted away for a single and the fifth ball was bravely paddled to fine leg for a single. Needing five off the last ball, Rabada stole the honours with another fast, well pitched up delivery which the batsman could only push down the ground for a single as the Proteas star secured a thrilling win for his side under intense pressure.
Photos: Ron Gaunt/SPORTZPICS for BCCI and Prashant Bhoot/SPORTZPICS for BCCI
