Varun Chakravarthy was Kolkata Knight Riders’ main man as he helped his team register a big 59-run win against Delhi Capitals in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Chakravarthy ran riot as he ended the match with figures of 5/20 in his stipulated four overs. Riding on the back of a much-needed victory, KKR kept their playoff chances alive in the 2020 season of the cash-rich league.

Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and invited the opposition to bat. A decision, which did not pay dividends. This is the first outright win for a side batting first since Delhi Capitals’ 13-run win against Rajasthan Royals in Dubai on October 14. Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana opened the batting for KKR – a new ploy by the management.

Both players looked in top form as they played well-timed shots all round the park. However, Gill fell prey to Anrich Nortje early in the play. He wonderful cut shot gulped down by Axar Patel at point.

Following this, Rahul Tripathi and Dinesh Karthik were, too, sent packing. Another ploy that worked in KKR’s favour was sending Sunil Narine ahead of captain Eoin Morgan. Both Narine and Rana played their hearts out as they stitched together a mammoth 115-run partnership.

While Rana (81) scored his 10th IPL fifty, Narine (64) hit his 4th IPL fifty.

Delhi Capitals, in reply, could not get the momentum they were looking for as KKR bowlers halted the flow of runs and forced the opposition to take unnecessary risks. Pat Cummins set the tone for the match by taking two wickets in two overs and setting DC on the back foot.

Following that it Chakravarthy ran riot and picked up wickets with ease. On the same night where R Ashwin was hammered all over the ground, Chakravarthy displayed brilliant skills. This talks about the talent that he has. En route to his 5/20, Chakravarthy not only gave his team a much-needed victory but also became the first cricketer to take the first five-wicket of the IPL 2020.

He was also adjudged man of the match for his performance with the ball. Only Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant provided resistance but that, too, didn’t last long. Cummins, on the other hand, ended the match with three wickets under his belt.