KKR vs DC Highlights, IPL 2024: Varun Chakaravarthy, Phil Salt Excel As KKR Register Huge Victory Over DC

We are back for the second essay. The two umpires have made their way out to the middle as have Rishabh Pant and his men. It will be the explosive left-hand right-hand combination of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt to open the innings for Kolkata. Lizaad Williams has the new ball in hand and he is raring to go. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Right then, despite how the back end of the innings panned out for them, Kolkata will be the happier of the two sides. Yes, the wicket is on the slower side, and 154 is a tricky target, but Kolkata have the batting depth to get over the line. Kuldeep Yadav has given Delhi something to bowl at, and given the help that Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy got, Kuldeep and Axar Patel will relish bowling on this surface. Wickets in the Powerplay will be the key for Delhi to put Kolkata on the back foot early. Join us in a bit to see how the chase unfolds.

Vaibhav Arora is in for a chat. He says that he had gotten a chance against Delhi previously and got a chance here again. On Shai Hope's wicket, he says he perfectly executed the outswing which pitched on that perfect length and got him the wicket. Adds that his strength is with the new ball and he likes to swing it both ways. Says that the wicket is on the slower side and they have done well to restrict them to a smaller target and should be able to get it done

As for Kolkata, they would have loved to bowl Delhi out but they will still be happy with where they are at this stage in the game. At the start, Mitchell Starc in his quest to get the new ball to swing, erred in the first over but soon fought back in his second over. His new ball partner, Vaibhav Arora was much more disciplined and was rewarded with two wickets in the Powerplay. Having conceded more runs than they would have wanted to in the first six overs, the onus was on their spinners to put a leash on the scoring rate in the middle phase. Harshit Rana gave them an opening and soon Varun Chakaravarthy came through for his side, picking the big wickets of Pant and Stubbs. Chakravarthy ruled the roost with support from Narine to pile the misery on Delhi. Despite having Delhi on the ropes in the 15th over, Kolkata failed to clean up the tail, conceding 41 runs in the last five overs.

Delhi have limped their way to a respectable total! Tottering at 111-8 at one stage, this has been a good recovery from Delhi to end up with 153 on the board. After Rishabh Pant called it right and opted to put runs on the board, Prithvi Shaw got off the blocks quickly with three boundaries in the first over. He fell in the second over and the young Aussie sensation, Jake Fraser-McGurk had a rare short stay at the crease. Shai Hope could not do much either but Rishabh Pant and Abishek Porel batted with intent and made the Powerplay count. Porel failed to kick on as a poor shot selection led to his downfall. Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel began a rebuild job but the Delhi skipper, having dropped on 18, could not capitalise on the reprieve. Patel and Stubbs failed the trial by spin as did the Impact Player, Kumar Kushagra. Being reduced to 111-8 in the 15th over, Delhi were in danger of being bowled out inside the 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav joined hands with Rasikh Dar, adding valuable runs. Kuldeep batted through for his side when the chips were down and remained unbeaten on 35 to take them past 150.

FOUR! Manages to get a boundary off the last ball and Delhi have reached a decent total at the end of the innings. Russell bowls a back-of-a-length delivery, angling it across outside off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to pull but is way too early on the shot yet manages to get a top edge that flies over the keeper for four runs.

Drops the length short and bowls it wider on off, Kuldeep Yadav looks for the cut over point but misses out. Kuldeep Yadav sends it upstairs for a wide call review. The replay confirms that the ball was well within the tramline and will be a fair delivery.

Lands the yorker right outside off, Kuldeep Yadav jams it just short of backward point where Ramandeep Singh dives ahead and collects it on the bounce. The batters set off for a run and Ramandeep Singh throws it at the nonstriker's end with nobody backing up. The batters scamper across for the second run.

Digs it in short but does not offer any pace, on off, Kuldeep Yadav swings for the pull but connects with thin air.

Slower and into the wicket, around off, Kuldeep Yadav shapes up to go big on the off side but the ball comes on slower onto the bat and only manages to push it off the toe-end back to the bowler.

FOUR! Streaky but worth it! Russell bangs the deck on a shorter length outside off, Kuldeep Yadav looks to fend it out and manages to get an outside edge past the third man for a boundary.

Who will bowl the last over? It will be the birthday boy, Andre Russell. Can he bowl Delhi out under 150?

Bowls this on a length and outside off, Kuldeep Yadav just nudges it to the off side and gets a single and will retain the strike for the final over.

WIDE! Tries another bouncer but sprays it down leg for an extra.

A well-directed bouncer that! Hits the deck over middle and leg, Kuldeep Yadav looks to dab it on the on side but fails to make connection.

On a shorter length and around middle and leg again, Lizaad Williams tucks it to deep mid-wicket region for a single.

On a length and around middle and leg, Lizaad Williams looks for the flick but misses. The ball brushes the pads and goes straight back to the keeper.

Lizaad Williams is the last man in for Delhi.

OUT! CAUGHT! Rana makes up for the dropped catch and Delhi lose another one. Comes from over the wicket and bowls it on a length and into middle with pace off, Rasikh Dar gets deceived by the pace off and lobs it straight into the hands of Shreyas Iyer at mid off who takes the easiest of catches.