Centurion: Delhi Daredevils produced a superb bowling show as they crushed Kolkata Knight riders by 52 runs in their opening Champions League Twenty20 match here on Saturday.
Sent into bat, Daredevils posted a competitive 160 for eight and then restricted KKR to 108 for seven on a Centurion pitch which assisted pace bowling, though it had uneven bounce at times.
Pacers Umesh Yadav (2/13), Irfan Pathan (2/20), Morne Morkel (2/25) and Ajit Agarkar (1/21) shared the seven wickets among them to inflict a crushing defeat on KKR in the Group A match.
KKR, the reigning IPL champions, made a mess of their run chase with three wickets falling in seven balls. To make matters worse for them, Jacques Kallis retired hurt without scoring in the 10th ball after being hit on his fingers by a Morne Morkel rising delivery.
Kallis’ fingers were seen bleeding on the impact of the delivery and he had to leave the field in pain when his side’s score was just four.
Manoj Tiwary top-scored with a 38-ball 33 which included two fours and a six while Rajat Bhatia was the second highest scorer with 22.
Pathan, who opened bowling, rocked the KKR innings with his inswinging deliveries as he took two wickets in the first over itself.
KKR captain Gautam Gambhir continued his poor form as he was the first one to go for a golden duck in the third ball of the innings.
Three balls later, Pathan had Bisla (1) for his second wicket. Bisla missed another inswinging delivery and was plumbed in front of wicket.
KKR were reeling at three for two wickets and matters became worse with Brendon McCullum departing in the first ball of Morkel with Chand holding a catch at point.
Morkel was bowling near 150km per hour at times and one such delivery rose and hit Kallis on his gloves and his fingers bled at the impact.
Earlier, young Unmukt Chand and Ross Taylor played fine cameos as Delhi Daredevils posted a competitive 160 for eight.
Most of the big guns of the Daredevils could not come up with a big score with only Chand (40) and Taylor (36) contributing substantially after being sent into bat. (PTI)
