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Preview: Delhi Daredevils will look to build on their hat-trick of wins when they clash with Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on saturday. Delhi’s season began with a loss against KKR in the first leg and many feared another dispiriting campaign lay ahead for them. But they have creditably bounced back with three successive wins since then. But that streak was halted in their last-ball defeat by Gujarat Lions. But the loss shouldn’t demoralise Delhi who have been impressively led by veteran pacer Zaheer Khan. In his last competitive action, Zaheer has used all his experience to build a fighting outfit that has been impressive in its all-round play. Their batting has been led by South African opener Quinton de Kock. Having scored the only century of the tournament so far, he has shown unstinted stroke-making ability. But what will worry the Delhi camp would be his cheap dismissals in the last two matches. [caption id=“attachment_2757670” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Delhi Daredevils. AFP[/caption] De Kock’s compatriot Jean Paul Duminy, the team’s captain last season, has also provided a steady influence in the middle order, guiding the young Indian batsmen, particularly Sanju Samson who has been in form. The batting appears a little short on experience but that hasn’t been exposed so far. But Morris’ big-hitting ability against Lions would have surely increased their confidence. The bowling looks more secure with Zaheer and South African Chris Morris forming the pace attack. The spin department is also in secure hands with wily spinners Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir working their magic in tandem. It will be interesting to see what combination Delhi chooses for the match with West Indies’ World T20 win hero Carlos Brathwaite warming the bench for the last two matches. Their opponents, KKR, are also coming into the match on the back of a defeat to Mumbai Indians. While they are placed second in the standings, two places above Delhi, they failed to defend a strong score of 174 against Mumbai. KKR’s batting has been sound with skipper Gautam Gambhir leading from the front. They are yet to lose while chasing and have a balanced squad. Gambhir has scored three half-centuries. KKR would like him to continue his purple patch.
IPL 2016, DD vs KKR as it happened: Knight Riders collapse to 27-run defeat
Catch the live updates of the 26th match of the ongoing IPL 2016 between Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders here.
 "IPL 2016, DD vs KKR as it happened: Knight Riders collapse to 27-run defeat")
After 18 overs,Kolkata 156/8 ( Umesh Yadav 1 , Sunil Narine 3)
SIX! Russell gets his first big hit of the innings, and boy does he connect this time! Back of length, and Russell swats it over deep midwicket for an 89m hit! Shami finishes his spell with nine runs off his final over. Mishra into his final over. SIX! Uthappa hammers against the spin to send the ball over deep midwicket! Four off the second, with Uthappa sending it through keeper de Kock’s legs with a reverse sweep. FOUR! Russell brings up the 150 for KKR with a slog sweep towards midwicket, reading the googly well.
And Kolkata commit absolute hara-kiri in the next few deliveries, with Russell, Holder and Uthappa departing in a space of a few deliveries to virtually knock their team’s hopes out!
OUT! Scintillating catch by Mishra — with almost superhuman reflexes — as Russell departs for 17 off 12 balls after attempting to club the ball over the bowler’s head. The ball was headed towards Mishra’s face like a rocket, and would have knocked most of his teeth out had he not caught it.
KKR lose their sixth wicket with 151 on board at the end of the 17th over, and need another 36 off 18 balls.
After 15 overs,Kolkata 127/5 ( Robin Uthappa (W) 59 , Andre Russell 6)
Mishra is starting to unleash his arsenal on googlies on the KKR batsmen, which have been very effective for the Delhi leg-spinner so far in the tournament. Lets see if it helps him get wickets today. Meanwhile, Uthappa is fighting a lone battle at one end, and is currently a hit away from his fifty. FOUR! Sathish gets his first boundary with a straight hit that sends the ball over the umpire’s head. Russell gets his first boundary of the innings with a late cut that sends the ball just wide of the keeper. Uthappa gets to his half-century by coming down the track, and smashing the flighted delivery over long-off! Gets to the milestone in 43 balls, and brings up his 100th six in his IPL career as well. Uthappa ends the 15th over with a boundary towards point to move to 59.
Kolkata need 60 to win from 30 balls with five wickets in hand. Still very gettable for Uthappa and Russell.
After 12 overs,Kolkata 99/4 ( Robin Uthappa (W) 44 , Rajagopal Sathish 1)
Suryakumar gets his first boundary of the innnings with a square-cut off a short, wide ball from Brathwaite. No-ball in the final ball of the 10th over, and Surya is given a free-hit, and Brathwaite concedes five wides off it, having fired a high full-toss outside leg! Free hit carries over to the next ball, and Suryakumar finishes the 10th with a loft over long-on! 22 runs came conceded by the West Indian all-rounder, much-needed for Kolkata. In fact, 14 runs had been scored off one legitimate ball at the end of the 10th over! Meanwhile, the no-ball had been awarded due to only three fielders standing inside the circle. OUT! Suryakumar departs for 21 off 13 balls after mishitting a Brathwaite delivery towards mid-on, where Shreyas Iyer times his dive to perfection to pull off one of the best catches of the tournament so far.
Kolkata need 88 off 48 balls, with six wickets in hand!
After 9 overs,Kolkata 66/3 ( Robin Uthappa (W) 34 , Suryakumar Yadav 6)
OUCH! Nasty fall by Morris, as he slips while landing on his left foot in his delivery stride. Uthappa enquires about his well-being straightaway, as Morris is left with a bloodied thumb from the fall. FOUR! Superbly timed by Uthappa to send the ball towards midwicket for his third boundary. Meanwhile, the 50 comes up for KKR for the loss of two wickets in the seventh over. Superb pull by Uthappa off Brathwaite to send the ball flying towards deep midwicket! Yusuf is dismissed off a slow bouncer from Brathwaite outside off, as he feeds Amit Mishra a simple catch at short fine-leg off an attempted pull.
These days, whenever a Brathwaite and an Englishman come together big, fast runs are scored#DDvKKR
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) April 30, 2016
Meanwhile, earlier in the innings.
Carlos Brathwaite....#WT20 final: - 34* in 10 balls (1f, 4s)#IPL today: - 34 in 11 balls (3f, 3f)#DDvKKR
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) April 30, 2016
After 6 overs,Kolkata 43/2 ( Robin Uthappa (W) 20 , Yusuf Pathan 8)
Uthappa miscues a bouncer from Shami towards square-leg, where the ball falls just short of the fielder in the deep. Chawla gets his first boundary off the next ball with a straight drive that beats mid-off! Gets his second four in the next over, swinging his bat towards mid-on, where the ball lands just short of Amit Mishra and slips through his hands for a four! OUT! Zaheer gets his second wicket by trapping Chawla leg-before with a short of length delivery, that hits the batsman on his front pad while looking to clip the leg-stump. Yusuf Pathan walks out to bat now, and he gets his first boundary off a length ball from Shami with a loft over mid-off. Meanwhile, its time for the timeout at the end of the powerplay.
After 3 overs,Kolkata 21/1 ( Robin Uthappa (W) 15 , )
Shami into the attack for the second over, and he gets a hint of movement in the short delivery just outside off. FOUR! First boundary in the KKR innings, as Uthappa guiding the final ball of the second over down towards backward square-leg. Uthappa gets his second boundary, this time with a cover drive that is impeccably timed and placed off Zaheer’s bowling. OUT! Delhi draw first blood as Gambhir gets a leading edge in the last ball of the third over, with Shreyas Iyer taking a simple catch near short cover! The Kolkata captain and Delhi lad departs for 6 off 8 balls, with Piyush Chawla promoted up the order to number three.
After 1 overs,Kolkata 5/0 ( Robin Uthappa (W) 3 , Gautam Gambhir (C) 2)
The captain-keeper opening combination of Gambhir and Uthappa walk out to bat for Kolkata Knight Riders, with Zaheer bowling the first over of the day. First runs on the board for KKR as Uthappa glances a short delivery from Zaheer towards deep square-leg. Five runs conceded off the opening over, with Shami’s footwork at deep third-man saving two runs for his side.
After 20 overs,Delhi 186/8 ( Mohammed Shami 0 , )
Final over. Andre Russell to Carlos Brathwaite, and the latter slogs it towards deep midwicket off the first ball. OUT! Russell gets his revenge in the very next delivery, as Brathwaite gets caught by Narine at short fine-leg while attempting to go for a ramp. Brathwaite c Narine b Russell — an all West Indian entry. Shami walks in to bat following Brathwaite’s dismissal, and gets a run for his side off a bye.
Pant swings his bat, and misses, in the fourth delivery. Two off the fifth, with Pant miscuing a short ball down the ground while attempting to clear square-leg with an attempted hook. Pant sends the ball down the ground, and attempts a quick second, but gets run-out while doing so. Delhi finish on 186/8 at the end of 20-overs.
After 19 overs,Delhi 176/6 ( Carlos Brathwaite 28 , Rishabh Pant 1)
SIX! Hammered over wide long-on by Brathwaite, who is beginning to display the ferocious form that he had displayed in the World T20. FOUR! Ball bounces over keeper Uthappa’s head in the second ball, as Delhi breach the 170-run mark. OUT! Billings’s wonderful IPL debut comes to an end after he is clean bowled by a slow full-toss from Umesh Yadav to depart for 54 off 34 balls. 13 runs off the penultimate over. Can Brathwaite guide Delhi past the 200-run mark in the final over?
After 18 overs,Delhi 163/5 ( Sam Billings 54 , Carlos Brathwaite 17)
SIX! The first of the innings, and Billings moves to 44 by getting down on one knee, and swatting the ball pitched outside off over the deep fine-leg boundary. SIX! Nair brings up the 100 stand with Billings with a loft over extra-cover off Umesh at the start of the 17th over. Karun Nair is trapped lbw by Umesh off a slower delivery, with the batsman departing after a fine knock of 68 off 50 balls. OUT! Morris is bowled by Umesh for a two-ball duck on his birthday. Brathwaite walks to the crease, and hits two boundaries towards deep fine-leg and third man respectively to start things off with a bang. Mixed over for Yadav, with 14 runs and two wickets coming off it. SIX! First big hit of the West Indian’s innings, and he smashes it over deep square-leg off Hogg. Billings brings up his fifty on IPL debut with a six off the last ball of the 18th over.
After 15 overs,Delhi 120/3 ( Karun Nair 59 , Sam Billings 38)
Nair and Billings have batted well so far in their innings, with their partnership exceeding the 50-run mark. Nair brings up the100 for Delhi with an uppercut off a short ball from Holder, and edges closer to his fifty. Two consecutive fours for Nair off Narine at the start of the 15th over, with the first helping him bring up his half-century in 39 deliveries. Reverse-sweeps the fourth ball towards deep point, as 14 runs are leaked in an expensive over by Narine. Meanwhile, the partnership between Nair and Billings is worth 88 from 60 balls at the end of the 15th over.
After 12 overs,Delhi 92/3 ( Karun Nair 38 , Sam Billings 32)
Piyush Chawla is brought into the attack for the 10th over, and concedes nine off the over, including a boundary off a sweep by Nair that sends the ball scurrying towards deep square-leg. Billings goes after Chawla in the 12th over, driving through extra-cover before hammering the fourth ball of the over through midwicket. Chawla makes things worse with a front-foot no-ball that gives Billings a free-hit, and the Englishman can only extract a single after mishitting a short delivery that cramps him for room.
Rahul Dravid had said before the #IPL9 began he wouldn't look at price-tags before selections.
— Suneer (@suneerchowdhary) April 30, 2016
Took a few games to drop Negi.#DDvKKR
@Russell12A has taken De Kock's wicket 3 times in 6 innings in all T20s. #AmiKKR #KKRStats #DDvKKR
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 30, 2016
After 9 overs,Delhi 61/3 ( Karun Nair 30 , Sam Billings 10)
Umesh Yadav is handed the ball at the start of the eighth over, and concedes four leg byes off his first ball. Billings however, gets his first boundary a few deliveries later with a majestic pull off a short delivery towards deep midwicket to bring up the 50 for Delhi. Wrist spin introduced in the ninth over, with Brad Hogg coming into the attack, and the veteran concedes seven off his first.
After 7 overs,Delhi 43/3 ( Karun Nair 25 , Sam Billings 1)
Following Samson’s departure after getting trapped lbw by Narine for a run-a-ball 15, England middle-order batsman Sam Billings walks out to face his first-ever delivery in the IPL. The fourth ball of the final powerplay over witnesses Nair flicking a length delivery from Russell towards deep square-leg for his third boundary.
Looks like Shreyas has not been in the best form in the tournament so far.
Shreyas Iyer 3rd duck this #IPL.
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) April 30, 2016
No one else has two in 2016!#DDvKKR
After 4 overs,Delhi 30/2 ( Sanju Samson 14 , Karun Nair 14)
Jason Holder, who’s playing his first game of the ongoing tournament, comes in to bowl the 2nd over of the innings. Samson scores the first boundary of the innings with an outside edge, with the ball beating the slip fielder towards the third man boundary. Samson cuts through point off the very next ball to get his second boundary! The second and third overs turn out to be good for Delhi, with 21 runs coming off those two. Good over by Holder in the fourth until the last ball, in which Nair guides a full toss down towards fine-leg.
After 1 overs,Delhi 2/2 ( Sanju Samson 1 , Karun Nair 0)
OUT! And its turning out to be a nightmarish start for Delhi, with in-form wicketkeeper batsman Quinton de Kock going for the pull, but mis-hitting the ball towards deep midwicket, where Brad Hogg holds on to an easy catch. De Kock departs for just 1 off 3 balls, as Delhi lose their 2nd wicket with two on board
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