Shreyas Iyer's blistering unbeaten 38-ball 88 (7x4, 6x6) and Prithvi Shaw's (66, 41b, 4x4, 4x6) quickfire half-century powered Delhi Capitals to 228 for four — the highest total of this edition — after Kolkata Knight Riders decided to bowl in their IPL encounter at Sharjah on Saturday.
Capitals got off to a brisk start with Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan (26, 16b, 2x4, 2x6) adding 56 for the first wicket. Shaw hit a four and six off Pat Cummins’ second over. At the other end, Dhawan smashed Sunil Narine for back-to-back sixes over square-leg.
Delhi raced to 50 in the fifth over before the Kolkata side arrested the momentum briefly when Varun Chakravarthy removed Dhawan in the last over of PowerPlay. However, Shaw, in the company of captain Shreyas, continued to flourish. The opener sent a Shivam Mavi delivery over extra-cover for six and brought up his half-century — his sixth in the IPL — with a six over long-on.
Shaw and Shreyas waded into Varun in the 12th over, scoring 16 runs. But just as they looked to switch gears, Shaw fell.
Rishabh Pant (38, 17b, 5x4, 1x6) continued the acceleration. Shreyas, who reached his fastest 50 in the IPL (26 balls), was also in no mood to relent as he put Varun to the sword, blasting 20 off his last over.
Scoreboard
Delhi Capitals Innings: Prithvi Shaw c Gill b Nagarkoti 66; Shikhar Dhawan c Morgan b Chakravarthy 26; Shreyas Iyer not out 88; Rishabh Pant c Mavi b Russell 38; Marcus Stoinis c Chakravarthy b Russell 1; Shimron Hetmyer not out 7. Extras: (W-2) 2
Total: (For 4 wkts in 20 overs) 228
Fall of Wickets: 1/56 2/129 3/201 4/221
Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Pat Cummins 4-0-49-0, Shivam Mavi 3-0-40-0, Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-49-1, Sunil Narine 2-0-26-0, Andre Russell 4-0-29-2, Kamlesh Nagarkoti 3-0-35-1.