Skipper David Warner hit a fluent 57 as Delhi Capitals edged Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets in a low-scoring Indian Premier League match yesterday for their first victory this season.
Returning fast bowler Ishant Sharma, playing his first IPL match since 2021, returned figures of 2-19 to help bowl out Kolkata for 127 in New Delhi.
But Delhi made tough work of their modest chase and despite Warner’s fourth half-century of the season achieved their target with four balls to spare in a rain-delayed match that went past midnight.
Delhi, who are still hunting for their maiden IPL title, remain bottom of the 10-team table with just one win in six matches.
“I was thinking it was like my first Test - happy to get off the mark,” said Delhi’s director of cricket and former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.
“We have bowled well this season. These are good pitches and fast outfields, but the problem is the batting. We need to go back and look at ourselves as to how we can do better. “
The left-handed Warner started strongly with a few boundaries but Delhi stuttered after they lost Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh and Phil Salt in quick succession.
Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy sent back Warner lbw for his second wicket and Manish Pandey became impact player Anukul Roy’s second scalp to raise Kolkata’s hopes.
Axar Patel (19) and Lalit Yadav (4) stayed calm to steer Delhi home.
BRIEF SCORES
Delhi Capitals 128 for 6 (Warner 57, Pandey 21, Varun 2-16, Rana 2-17, A Roy 2-19) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 127 (J Roy 43, Russell 38*, Axar 2-13, Kuldeep 2-15) by four wickets
Delhi Capitals' David Warner plays a shot during the IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders in New Delhi on Thursday. (AFP)
