Sunil Narine’s All-Round Show Gives Kolkata Knight Riders a 14 Runs Win over Delhi Capitals

Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi has always been a witness to some of the most epic finishes, and Match 48 of the IPL 2025 between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Delhi Capitals was just another example of it. When the visiting team, KKR, managed to defeat the Delhi Capitals by a margin of 14 runs and took the 2 points with them as they kept themselves alive in the race to the Playoffs. The game had everything, like a quick fire start, wickets at crucial junctures, dramatic captaincy changes, and a standout all-round performance by one of IPL’s most experienced campaigners, Sunil Narine.

KKR’s Epic Start and Finish

After being put in to bat by Delhi Capitals, the Kolkata Knight Riders raced off to a flying start, thanks to a fiery opening partnership from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine who came out with attacking intent. Gurbaz smashed 26 off just 12 balls, including 5 boundaries and a six, setting the tone early. Then Sunil Narine, continuing his form as a pinch-hitter, contributed a solid 27 off 16 balls, laced with 2 fours and 2 sixes, at a strike rate of. 168.75. This fast-paced start propelled KKR to 79/1 at the end of the powerplay.

Ajinkya Rahane, leading the side, also added quick runs with 26 off 14 balls, but wickets started falling regularly after the seventh over as Angkrish Raghuvanshi held the middle together with a composed 44 off 32 balls. He timed his knock well and played some vital shots during the middle overs. Rinku Singh also chipped in with a handy 36 off 25 balls, providing much-needed stability and finishing support.

Despite the explosive beginning, KKR lost momentum in the death overs. From 174/4 in the 16th over, they collapsed to 204/9 by the end of 20 overs as the last four wickets fell for just 30 runs in the final 3.1 overs. Mitchell Starc was the pick of the bowlers for Delhi Capitals, claiming 3 wickets for 43 runs while Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam also took 2 wickets each.

DC’s Brilliant Start and Collapse

Chasing a target of 205, Delhi Capitals had a shaky start, losing Abishek Porel for just 4 runs in the very first over. However, Faf du Plessis anchored the innings with an impressive knock of 62 off 45 balls, hitting 7 fours and 2 sixes. Karun Nair and KL Rahul also chipped in, but neither could build a big inning. Rahul was run out for 7, courtesy of a sharp piece of fielding by Sunil Narine.

The major resistance came from captain Axar Patel and du Plessis, who formed a threatening partnership in the middle as Axar smashed 43 off just 23 balls with 4 boundaries and 3 sixes, giving DC a real shot at the target. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the 14th over when Ajinkya Rahane, KKR’s captain, had to leave the field due to a finger injury, and Sunil Narine stepped up as the stand-in skipper. He immediately brought himself into the attack and produced a match-defining over. First, he removed the dangerous Axar Patel, who looked well-set. Then, just a few balls later, Narine clean bowled Tristan Stubbs for just 1, with a classic off-spin delivery that left the batter clueless. That overturned the game on its head.

With the Capitals now reeling, Narine wasn’t done yet. In his final over, he got the biggest breakthrough, the wicket of Faf du Plessis, who was caught at the midwicket boundary after trying to accelerate. Narine ended his spell with figures of 4-0-29-3, showing once again why he is one of the most impactful bowlers in T20 cricket. His economy of 7.25 in a high-scoring match, along with three crucial wickets, proved decisive. While Vipraj Nigam tried to keep DC in the hunt with a quickfire 38 off 19 balls, the rest of the lineup crumbled under pressure. Varun Chakravarthy supported Narine well by taking 2 wickets in the middle overs, including those of Ashutosh Sharma and Mitchell Starc in quick succession.

150 wickets of mystery and mastery! 🎯🌀 pic.twitter.com/CxIxGMAl7W

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 29, 2025

Anukul Roy and Andre Russell chipped in with a wicket each, and despite a late push from DC, they could only manage 190/9 in their 20 overs. KKR’s bowling unit held their nerves, especially in the final five overs, where they managed to restrict the flow of runs and take regular wickets. Narine’s all-round effort, 27 runs with the bat and 3 wickets with the ball earned him the Player of the Match award.

What’s Happening in the Points Table?

After their 14-run win against Delhi Capitals in Match 48 of IPL 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) climbed to 7th place on the points table with 9 points from 10 matches (4 wins, 5 losses, 1 no result) and a net run rate of 0.271. This victory keeps KKR in the playoff race, but they will need to win their remaining games and depend on other results.

IPL 2025 POINTS TABLE. 📈

– RCB remains at the Top. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/I72NbJO0ID

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 29, 2025

Delhi Capitals (DC), despite the loss, remain in the top 4 with 12 points from 10 matches (6 wins, 4 losses) and a net run rate of 0.362. However, the defeat tightens the playoff race as multiple teams are within striking distance. DC will aim to bounce back quickly to avoid slipping out of contention.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Day

For the fans who witnessed the match live between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Delhi Capitals, the game-changing moment or the TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game has to be the run out of the star player KL Rahul. At the time of his dismissal, Delhi Capitals were looking strong in their chase of 205, with a solid foundation laid by Faf du Plessis and Karun Nair. However, things took a sharp turn at 60/2 when Rahul was run out due to a mix-up in running between the wickets. The moment unfolded in the 7th over when Faf du Plessis played a short ball towards short fine leg.

There was hesitation between the batters as Faf stopped midway while Rahul, having already committed to the run, tried to turn back. Sunil Narine quickly picked up the ball and fired in a direct hit at the striker’s end. The third umpire was called, and replays confirmed that Rahul was just short of the crease when the bails lit up. This brilliant piece of fielding by Narine not only broke a developing partnership but also triggered a mini-collapse for Delhi. With Rahul’s wicket, pressure mounted, and DC lost momentum.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

Many of the fans won’t believe it, but the knock that made an impact on the outcome of the match has to be of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who is our TCNI’s Hero of the Day now. While big names like Gurbaz, Narine, and Russell lit up the innings with their aggressive cameos, it was Raghuvanshi’s composed 44 off 32 balls that provided the backbone to Kolkata Knight Riders’ strong total of 204 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Coming in at a crucial stage after the top order had fired quickly, Raghuvanshi showed great maturity beyond his years. He rotated the strike smartly and punished loose deliveries, hitting 3 fours and 2 sixes.

His ability to keep the scoreboard ticking without taking unnecessary risks allowed KKR to maintain their momentum in the middle overs, which is often where innings tend to slow down. Importantly, his knock gave the platform for big hitters like Rinku Singh, Russell, and Powell to attack freely in the final overs. By the time Raghuvanshi got out in the 17th over, KKR were well positioned to explode at the death. The late boundaries came because of the stability he brought earlier. Without that solid middle-phase effort, KKR may have fallen short of a 200+ total.