KKR’s Narine discusses challenge of facing swing during intense knockout against DC

Following Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) 106-run victory over Delhi Capitals (DC), KKR bowling all-rounder Sunil Narine, who delivered a match-winning half-century, remarked on the challenging conditions he faced at the start of his innings, attributing it to swing and the difficulty in batting.

Narine’s explosive innings of 85 runs off 39 balls propelled Kolkata to a formidable total of 272/7, the second-highest in IPL history, a score they defended despite notable contributions from DC skipper Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs. DC was eventually bowled out for 166 runs, resulting in a resounding victory for KKR in Visakhapatnam.

In a video shared by the IPL’s official X handle, Narine expressed, “To start off, it was tough, there was a lot of swing. Once you made contact with one or two balls, everything came a little easier. It was nice to do it in front of the big boss (Shahrukh Khan). You have those days when everything clicks.”

His teammate Andre Russell reflected on Narine’s impact, noting how Narine’s aggressive approach motivated him to attack the bowlers from the outset, albeit after taking some time to settle. Russell acknowledged the importance of their comprehensive victory, highlighting its significance for their net run rate.

In the match, Sunil Narine’s blazing knock (85 off 39 balls, including seven fours and seven sixes), Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s impressive performance (54 off 27 balls, with five fours and three sixes), and contributions from Andre Russell (41 off 19 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Rinku Singh (26 off eight balls, with one four and three sixes) propelled KKR to a commanding total.

DC’s chase faltered early, reaching 33/4 before a brief resurgence led by skipper Rishabh Pant (55 off 25 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes) and Tristan Stubbs (54 off 32 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes). However, they fell short as KKR’s bowlers, including Vaibhav Arora (3/27) and Varun Chakravarthy (3/33), restricted them to 166 all out.

Sunil Narine’s impactful performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award. With this win, KKR stands at the top of the table with three consecutive victories and six points, while DC languishes at the ninth spot with one win and three losses, accumulating two points.