IPL Qualifier 2: KKR clinch last-over thriller to beat DC, enter final

Sharjah: In a last-over thriller, Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Capitals by three wickets to enter the final of Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.

 

KKR will play Chennai Super Kings in the final at Dubai on October 15 (Friday).

 

Chasing Delhi's total of 135/5, KKR were cruising at 96/1 with Venkatesh Iyear (55 off 41) and Shubman Gill (46 off 46) setting the tone.

 

However, they lost the plot thereafter and gifted wickets to Delhi only to be rescued by a six from Rahul Tripathi with one ball to spare.

 

Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders, led by mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, had produced a clinical bowling display on a slow pitch to restrict Delhi Capitals to 135.

 

DC batters had struggled on a sluggish pitch with the KKR bowlers bowling a tight line and length. Opener Shikhar Dhawan top-scored with a 39-ball 36 while Shreyas Iyer had remained not out on 30 off 27 balls.

 

Chakravarthy took two wickets for 26 runs while Lockie Ferguson and Shivam Mavi got one each.

After seven dot balls in the first two overs, DC took 12 runs from the third with Shaw hoisting Shakib Al Hasan for a big six.

 

Dhawan joined the party in the fourth over, smacking two consecutive sixes off Sunil Narine as DC amassed 14 runs from the veteran West Indian.

 

Chakravarthy broke the dangerous-looking partnership by having Shaw LBW with his first delivery of the day with the batter playing a wrong line to his googly.

 

Ferguson was impressive as he conceded just nine runs from his first two overs as DC reached 38 for 1 at the end of Power Play overs.

 

After a quiet period during which Mavi, Narine and Chakravarthy bowled a tight line and length, Dhawan got a boundary in the 10th over to reach 65 for 1 at the halfway mark.

 

With odd ball skidding low, it was getting difficult to get runs and DC were dealt a blow when Mavi, who was bowling beautifully, got rid of Marcus Stoinis who was playing only his second match in the UAE leg.

 

With pressure building on the DC batters, Dhawan fell in the 15th over while going for a big shot. He could only get an outside edge off a Chakravarthy delivery for Shakib Al Hasan to take a diving catch at backward point.

 

DC were 83 for 3 in the 15th over when captain Rishabh Pant (6) came in and he disappointed in a crucial match as he went for a big shot the next over only to balloon a Ferguson delivery for Rahul Tripathi to take a regulation catch.

 

There was no lack of drama as Shimron Hetmyer was caught by Shubman Gill off Chakravarthy in the 17th over but it turned out to be a no ball.
DC had managed to score 36 runs in the last three overs to put up a decent total in the end.

 

Brief scores: Delhi Capitals: 135/5 in 20 overs (Dhawan 36, Shreyas Iyer 30, Varun Chakaravarthy 2/26) lost to KKR 136/7 in 19.5 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 55, Gill 46, Rabada 2/23, Ashwin 2/27, Nortje 2/31)
(With PTI inputs)