After recently witnessing a high-scoring match where a target of 262 runs was successfully chased with eight balls remaining, Eden Gardens returned to its traditional style well-known to supporters of the home team. Kolkata Knight Riders regained their winning momentum, securing a convincing seven-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals and advancing to the second position on the IPL table. This win not only boosted their confidence but also improved their net run rate.

Following a series of pitches lacking significant turn, Eden Gardens presented one with a hint of grip, which Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowlers effectively capitalized on after Delhi Capitals elected to bat first. During the powerplay, Mitchell Starc and Vaibhav Arora claimed three wickets, setting the stage for the spinners to dominate. Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine combined for a notable performance, conceding just 40 runs in eight overs while taking four wickets. Despite being reduced to 111 for 8 at one point, Capitals managed to set KKR a target exceeding 150, primarily due to an unexpected, unbeaten 35 runs off 26 balls by Kuldeep Yadav.

With Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel leading their bowling attack, Delhi Capitals possessed the arsenal to apply pressure on the pitch. However, Kolkata Knight Riders had already gained significant momentum towards victory before either spinner delivered a ball. Phil Salt continued his impressive form, registering his fourth fifty in five home games this season and dominating the powerplay as KKR raced to 79 for no loss.

Axar Patel managed to dismiss both KKR openers upon his introduction, but it proved to be too little, too late for Delhi Capitals. Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer then steered KKR to victory, forging an unbroken partnership of 57 runs off 43 balls, concluding the match with 21 balls to spare.

With this win, Kolkata Knight Riders now stand at 12 points from nine games, boasting a Net Run Rate of 1.096, the highest among all teams in the competition.