• KKR turned their beast mode on, second-highest position total in IPL history

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    KKR turned their beast mode on, second-highest position total in IPL history
    On his debut, Raghuvanshi looked amazing, scoring 54 off 27..............


    Digital desk: The Kolkata Knight Riders made history on Wednesday against the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2024 match by reaching an enormous score of 272/7. The standout performers were Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell was playing at his most explosive level once again as the KKR hitters quickly dispatched the DC bowling attack. This was the highest total scored by a team playing away from home in the IPL, even though KKR was unable to surpass Sunrisers Hyderabad's record-breaking 277/3.

    Team                          Score   Opposition                   Date

    Sunrisers Hyderabad 277-3 v Mumbai Indians         27/03/24

    Kolkata Knight Riders 272-7 v Delhi Capitals          3/4/2024

    Royal Challengers 
    Bengaluru                 263-5 v Pune Warriors            23/o4/2013 
                                                                     India                  

    Lucknow Super 
    Giants                          257/5  v Punjab Kings         28/04/2023

    Royal Challengers 
    Bengaluru                  248/3   v Guj Lions                  14/05/2016

    Chennai Super Kings  246/5   v Royals                  3/04/2010

    Kolkata Knight Riders  245/6   v Kings XI                 12/05/2018  


    The DC lowered themselves into the pressure and lost by 106 runs as KKR's mammoth goal of 273 proved to be too much for them. 

    In the powerplay, DC was reduced to 33/4 by the pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Vaibhav Arora, who each claimed two wickets.

    The early setback ruined DC's strategy for pursuing the enormous total, which became increasingly difficult with every delivery. 

    With some effortless power hitting, captain Rishabh Pant (55), along with batsman Tristan Stubbs (54), put up a 93-run stand that had the home crowd in high spirits. 

    Pant showed signs of getting back to his best form in the IPL by scoring back-to-back half-centuries.

    However, DC lost the game by a huge score of 106 runs after Pant was dismissed, so the writing was clearly on the wall. 

    With their third straight victory of the season, KKR swept to the top of the standings.

    Previously in the innings, the "City of Destiny" saw two hours of carnage, two hours of harsh ball-striking, and one hundred and sixty minutes of agony for the Delhi Capitals (DC) bowlers. Narine (85), Raghuvanshi (54), Russell (41), and Rinku Singh's vicious abuse enabled KKR to narrowly edge past Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) 277, but Kolkata finished with the second-highest IPL total ever.

    Philip Salt and Sunil Narine's explosive partnership got KKR off to a blazing start after they won the toss and decided to bat first. After failing to score a run in Khaleel Ahmed's opening over, Salt hit two consecutive boundaries off Ishant Sharma. 

    Finally, Khaleel Ahmed's habit of placing his deliveries farthest from the wicket was noticed by both of the KKR openers. Ishant's second over saw Narine launch an offensive that severely punished the DC bowler, who amassed 26 runs in the over.

    Salt's innings ended when he was dismissed by Anrich Nortje after Tristan Stubbs made an amazing backward-running catch. He was dropped on one and caught on the second.

    Against Narine, DC bowlers kept missing the mark, and the opener reached his second fifty of the 2024 IPL in just 21 balls. But, Nortje gave DC a huge advantage by taking out Salt for eighteen, but it was Narine who captured everyone's interest with an incredible fifty. 

    With his explosive batting, Narine helped the team reach the 100-run milestone in just 7.3 overs throughout the game, and he and Raghuvanshi looked excellent at the wicket.

    Mitchell Marsh entered the game to halt KKR's assault while Narine and Raghuvanshi chose a more measured strategy to win the match.

    The 18-year-old Raghuvanshi continued to dazzle the cricket fraternity by adding a thrilling reverse six to his already outstanding performance in the game. The boy then unleashed a devastating blow with Narine in a wrecking mood on the other, smashing his first IPL half-century. With considerable ease, the pair finished their partnership at 100 runs.

    To the ultimate relief of the DC bowling unit, a remarkable Narine knock came to an end before Marsh took the crucial wicket. Narine made 85 off just 39 balls before returning to the pavilion. Nortje packed Raghuvanshi away.

    On his debut, Raghuvanshi looked amazing, scoring 54 off 27, but Nortje dismissed him in the 13.2 over, ending his wonderful knock.

    KKR reached the 200-mark in just 15 overs of play. Rinku Singh scorched Nortje for three maximums and one four in the game's second-to-last over before being removed by a misplayed stroke.

    Ishant took Russell out with a brilliant yorker that shook the wickets at a rapid pace. KKR's dominant performance came to an end when he removed Ramandeep Singh in the same over, limiting Kolkata to 272/7.