Images from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
Prithvi Shaw fired Delhi Capitals to an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL match in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
In a stunning batting display, the opener hammered six fours in the first over on his way to a blistering 82 as Delhi Capitals won with much to spare.
Chasing a modest 155 for victory, Shaw sent all the six legal deliveries from opening bowler Shivam Mavi to the boundary to garner 24 runs from the first over.
He shared a 132-run stand for the first wicket with senior partner Shikhar Dhawan (46 off 47 balls), who played second fiddle throughout the innings, as the pair annihilated the KKR bowlers.
Pat Cummins was the oick of the KKR bowlers with excellent figures of 3 for 24.
The victory was Delhi's fifth win in seven outings while KKR suffered their fifth defeat in seven games.
It was a nightmare start for the Mavi. He sent down a wide off the first delivery and then bore the brunt of Shaw’s bat, as the opener hit six fours off the next six deliveries as Delhi gathered 24 runs from the first over.
Sunil Narine was then introduced into the attack in the fourth over and Shaw hit the spinner for a six and four to help Delhi take 14 from the over.
Pat Cumming quietened things a bit, conceding just one run from the sixth over, as Delhi got 67 runs from the powerplay.
Varun Chakravarthy, who conceded 10 runs from his first over, returned to the attack and also managed to keep the two openers quiet, conceding just four of the seventh before Shaw brought up his 50 off 18 balls off the first delivery of the eighth over, bowled by Cummins.
After 10 overs, Delhi were 95 for 5, with Shaw batting on 63 off 25 and Dhawan on 30 off 35.
KKR needed a bowler who could stop the run-riot. They got Cummins, who conceded 11 runs in his first two overs, back... and the Aussie speedster delivered, trapping Dhawan leg before wicket.
The batsman was plumb in front and did not even bother to take the review.
Dhawan was out for 46 off 47 balls and Delhi lost their first wicket for 132 in the 14th over.
Skipper Rishabh Pant replaced Dhawan and continued to attack the bowlers. He hit a four and six off Prasidh Krishna, as 14 runs came from the 15th over and Delhi got to 146 for 1.
Cummins then struck again with his second delivery of the 16th over, but too late, taking the big wicket off Prithvi Shaw, who tried to pull a short of a length delivery and skied a thick top-edge to Nitish Rana at backward point.
Shaw was out for a superb 82 off 41 balls, which included 11 fours and 3 sixes.
The Aussie got his third wicket, having Rishabh Pant caught by Shivam Mavi.
Pant, looking to seal victory in style, slammed the ball to long-on, where Mavi took a good catch just ahead of the rope.
Pant was out for 16 off 8 and Delhi were three down for 150.
Marcus Stoinis hit Krishna for four to seal a thumping victory for Delhi, with 21 balls to spare.
Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders suffered another familiar batting collapse before late fireworks from Andre Russell lifted them to 154 for 6.
The Knight Riders were well-placed at 69 for 1 at the half-way mark, but lost wickets in a heap and slumped to 82 for 5 in the 13th over.
It was left to some big hitting from Russell at the end that enabled them put up a fighting total.
The West Indian hit a 27-ball 45 not out, which was studded with two boundaries and four sixes, to give the innings a semblance of respectability.
Earlier, opener Shubman Gill scored a 38-ball 43, which included three boundaries and six, but failed to convert his solid start into a big score.
Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav were the most impressive of the Delhi bowlers, with two wickets each.
Delhi Capitals won the toss and elected to bowl. They included Lalit Yadav in place of Amit Mishra, who is sidelined due to shoulder injury. KKR were unchanged.
Nitish Rana, making his 50th appearance for KKR, and Shubman Gill opened the batting, while Ishant Sharma got the bowling underway for Delhi.
The pair put up 18 without loss before Axar Patel, introduced in the fourth over, ended Rana's stay with his fourth delivery after being hit for a six by the batsman.
The left-arm spinner sent the ball down outside off and Rana advanced, missed and was stumped by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Rana was out for 15 off 12, which included a four and six, and KKR were 25 for 1 at the end of the fourth over.
Rahul Tripathi replaced Rana and along with Gill steadied KKR, guiding them to 41-1 after six overs. Gill grew in confidence, racing to 34 off 28 balls before time-out was called in the ninth over with 65 for 1.
Marcus Stoinis, the right-arm Aussie pacer, came into the attack in the tenth over and gave Delhi their second success of the evening, having Tripathi caught by Lalit Yadav. The batsman chipped a full length delivery outside off-stump and Yadav took the catch at sweeper cover. Tripathi was out for 19 off 17 balls and KKR were 69-2.
Skipper Eoin Morgan's bad run continued as he was dismissed for a duck by Yadav in the next over after the addition of just five runs to KKR's total.
The England batsman chopped the off-break from the bowler towards long-off, where Steven Smith took the offering after covering much ground. KKR were three down.
Yadav picked another wicket a few deliveries later, his off-break having Sunil Narine, who replaced Morgan, bowled. KKR were 75-4 after 11 overs.
Avesh Khan then returned to the attack for his second over and ended Gill's fine knock with the last ball of his second over. The opener lofted a slower delivery from the pacer to wide long-on, where Smith did well to race to his right and take the catch. Gill was out for 43 off 38 balls after hitting 3 fours and a six.
At 82 for 5 after the 13th over the Knight Riders were in deep trouble. It got worse when Axar trapped Dinesh Karthik leg before wicket.
But Andre Russell and Pat Cummins put together a partnership of 45 runs off 22 balls for the seventh wicket to give the Knight Riders 154 for 6 after 20 overs. Russell finished the innings in style, hitting Avesh for a six. The pair scored 42 off the last three overs, 13 off the last.
Russell was unbeaten with 45 off 27 balls and Cummins 11 not out off 13.
