Kolkata Knight Riders’ electric start hit a sudden speed bump as Delhi Capitals struck twice in quick succession right after the powerplay, pulling back momentum in match 48 of IPL 2025 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Sunil Narine, who smashed 26 off 14 balls in a fiery cameo, was the first to fall in the 7th over. Facing debutant Vipraj Nigam, Narine attempted a slog to a delivery that was bowled on a fuller side and kept straight. The ball struck him low on the pads, and the umpire raised his finger immediately for LBW. It was Vipraj’s first wicket of the match—and his first of the season—in just his 10th IPL appearance.
Just six balls later, Delhi struck again. Ajinkya Rahane, who was anchoring the innings with a fluent 21 off 10, was trapped LBW by Axar Patel on the second ball of the 8th over. The ball drifted in and beat Rahane on the flick, hitting him in line with the stumps. Though Rahane reviewed instantly, replays confirmed the impact was in line and hitting the stumps, forcing him to walk back.
From a commanding 79/1 at the end of six overs, KKR stumbled to 91/3 in 7.2 overs, losing two set batters in a span of seven deliveries. With Venkatesh Iyer and youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi now at the crease, Delhi’s spinners have successfully slowed down Kolkata’s charge after a blazing start.
