When a modest target has to be pursued in modern-day T20 cricket, the benefits of having time and knowing the precise tempo to operate at are sizeable for the chasing team. Finn Allen may have been out of sorts heading into Kolkata Knight Riders’ clash against Delhi Capitals on Friday in IPL-19, but this was an opportunity he wasn’t going to fritter away.
The New Zealander steered KKR to a target of 143 with an unbeaten 100 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, handing the three-time former champion an eight-wicket win in 14.2 overs to keep its playoff hopes alive. It is the Knight Riders’ fourth victory on the trot.
With a partnership of 116 for the third wicket, Allen and Cameron Green alleviated any concerns in the KKR camp post the dismissals of Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
DC’s future this season hangs by a thread, having stumbled to its seventh defeat in 11 matches. At the heart of a shambolic performance was Capitals’ ineptitude with the bat, as reflected by a total of 142 for eight.
DC vs KKR - HIGHLIGHTS
On a slow surface, KKR’s spinners held sway. Anukul Roy struck twice each while Sunil Narine chipped in with a breakthrough. Pacer Kartik Tyagi also took two wickets. For the host, Pathum Nissanka stood out with a knock of 50.
In an opening partnership of 49, Nissanka took the early initiative. Besides the pulls and flicks, he was also deftness personified, notably piercing the gap perfectly behind square on the off-side with a late steer against Varun Chakaravarthy.
At the start of the 11th over, the diminutive opener reached his half-century with an inside-out drive off Anukul. Off the very next ball, however, the left-arm spinner saw the batter charge and dragged his line for Angkrish to complete a stumping off a wide.
Confronted with the need to rebuild after DC was reduced to 89 for five, Axar Patel and Ashutosh Sharma retreated into their shells — just 11 runs were added from overs 12 to 16. Though Ashutosh managed a few boundaries towards the end, it did prove futile in the grand scheme.
Published on May 08, 2026