KKR cruise past Delhi, Maxwell

The result: Kolkata Knight Riders 9-200 (Rana 59, Russell 41, Tewatia 3-18) defeated Delhi Daredevils 10-129 (Maxwell 47, Narine 3-18) by 71 runs.

The match in a tweet: Dre Russ goes big once again for KKR but Glenn Maxwell pulls out his own tricks in vain at Eden Gardens #KKRvDD

The Master Blaster 2.0: If there was a modern day Sir Vivian Richards, Andre Russell would have to be the closest thing to it, showcased by yet another mammoth effort with the bat in this year’s IPL. Dropped off his third ball by Jason Roy, he made the Daredevils pay with his next ten balls contributing 34 runs to the tally. Remarkably, his 12-ball knock included six sixes on one of the biggest grounds in the tournament, pairing with Nitish Rana (59) for a 61-run partnership.

The salvage effort: Delhi were in deep trouble when Glenn Maxwell entered the crease at 3-24, but the Australian allrounder found his groove and put the pressure back on the home side. His second ball just cleared the cover fielder for four, but the rest of his three boundaries and four sixes were much more convincing. As the required run rate skyrocketed and wickets fell around him, Maxwell kept a cool head and deposited Kuldeep Yadav (3-32) over the rope twice in as many balls, caught on the boundary going for a third to end his 22-ball stay.

The ladder: Both sides registered just one win prior to their fourth game matchup, with one team destined to have a 1-3 record after a result had been reached. Each team sat in the bottom three before the first ball was bowled in Kolkata and when Kuldeep Yadav claimed Trent Boult’s wicket to end the game, the Knight Riders made a huge ascent to second on the table. As for Delhi, they now sit above only the winless Mumbai Indians and suffered a seismic drop in net run rate after their 71-run demolition at the hands of the Knight Riders.

The Aussie pack: Chris Lynn showed what he is capable of at the top of the order, blasting 31 runs from 29 balls, a knock that included four boundaries and a six. He shot out of the blocks but was halted in the middle of his innings by spin, unable to continue the momentum and holing out to the deep-mid-wicket fielder. Glenn Maxwell’s 47 was one of just two double-digit scores for Delhi, he and Risabh Pant combining for 70 per cent of the Daredevils overall total. Kolkata quick Mitchell Johnson was once again interchanged for Tom Curran, the second time this substitution has been made so far in IPL 11.

The Next Stop: Kolkata have just a one day break before facing D’Arcy Short, Ben Laughlin and the Rajasthan Royals on Thursday, whilst Delhi get a five day rest before coming up against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday.

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