IPL 2018 Highlights: Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas, Prithvi power Daredevils

Delhi Daredevils skipper Shreyas Iyer scored a brilliant unbeaten 93 to build the foundation of the big win over Kolkata Knight Riders

New Delhi, April 27: Phew! Kids these days! Shreyas Iyer is 23. Prithvi Shaw is 18. And together they pulled Delhi Daredevils out from the depths of despair with an emphatic show of batsmanship against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Friday (April 27).

The 219 for four that Delhi Daredevils made itself guaranteed them their second win of this IPL after the one they scored against Mumbai Indians that had begun to look like a result from a different era. Daredevils defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 55 runs.

The Delhi Daredevils took a drastic measure coming into this match, dropping Gautam Gambhir who had stepped down from the captaincy. It may sound a tad brutal on a decorated player like Gambhir but the move benefited Delhi Daredevils immensely.

Prithvi (62, 44b, 7x4, 2x6) and Colin Munro (33, 18b, 4x4, 2x6) added 59 runs in 7 overs as Delhi Daredevils got their best start of this edition of the IPL.

JEET GAYE BHAI 55 RUNS SE!!!! 😍

YYYEEESSSSSSS!!!!!#DilDilli #Dhadkega #DDvKKR pic.twitter.com/M9MIiWiJTn
— Delhi Daredevils (@DelhiDaredevils) April 27, 2018

The dismissal of Munro, castled by Piyush Chawla, sparked that massive phase in Daredevils' innings as Shreyas (93 n.o., 40b, 3x4, 10x6) milked 68 runs in just over seven overs as Daredevils reached 127 in 14 overs.

Platform for the final assault was laid brilliantly. And Shreyas, who walked out as captain of the Daredevils for the first time and showed little signs of nerves of that responsibility, became the fourth player to hammer an IPL fifty on debut after Adam Gilchrist (erstwhile Deccan Chargers) Aaron Finch (erstwhile Pune Warriors India) and Murali Vijay (Kings XI Punjab).

But records were almost irrelevant as Shreyas indulged himself in some outstanding strokeplay. It was actually a two-phased, immaculately paced innings. In the first 25 balls that he faced, Shreyas made 37 runs with two sixes but in the subsequent 15 balls the Mumbai lad made 56 runs that contained eight sixes.

In the first half of that innings, Shyreas played the ideal foil to Prithvi as the two Mumbai lads lead Delhi's charge. Once Prithvi went back to the dug out, Shreyas put on the cloak of aggressor.

52 vs RCB
57 vs KXIP
93* vs KKR

Hat-trick of half-centuries for Shrey! 😍#DilDilli #Dhadkega #DDvKKR pic.twitter.com/nsmZTkKzNk
— Delhi Daredevils (@DelhiDaredevils) April 27, 2018

India Under-19 pacer Shivam Mavi took the brunt of Shreyas' fury as the right-hander smashed six sixes off him besides a four and among them four sixes came in the final over of the innings that yielded 29 runs for the Delhi Daredevils.

When Mavi pitched the ball short Shreyas played across the line quite efficiently and when he tried the fuller length Shreyas teed off over the long-off or covers for optimum effect as a stunning 76 runs flowed in for Daredevils in the last four overs.

The final push for the Daredevils came from the fifth wicket partnership between Shreyas and Glenn Maxwell, who found some touch this night after initial struggles in the IPL, worth 73 runs.

The Knight Riders needed some solid efforts with the bat to hunt down a target of the proportions of 220. But they lost a flurry of wickets inside the Power Play segment to get reduced to 46/4.

Those wickets were some of their power hitters such as Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa and the in-form Nitish Rana. From that moment, it was always going to be an uphill climb for the Knight Riders.

#KKRStatCorner @Russell12A hit 4⃣ sixes in his 44-run knock and now has 2⃣3⃣ sixes, joint-most in VIVO @IPL 2018!

More Stats - https://t.co/vic7izgRw4 #DDvKKR #IPL2018 #KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/gjteJuskAS
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 27, 2018

Of course, Andre Russel (44 off 30 balls, 3x4, 4x6) and Shubman Gill (37, 29b, 3x4, 1x6) kicked up a mini storm for the sixth wicket adding 64 runs with the West Indian clubbing a few trademark maximums.

But the sheer size of the target and the early loss of a cluster of wickets for not too many runs ensured that the night belonged to Shreyas and Delhi Daredevils.