Kolkata Knight Riders top order fires to post competitive total of 204/9 against Delhi Capitals

Kolkata Knight Riders' top order gave them a blazing start but the middle order failed to capitalise on it as they posted 204 for nine against Delhi Capitals in an IPL match here on Tuesday.

Coming into the game with three losses in their last five matches, KKR got off to a flying start as Sunil Narine (27) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (26) put on the team's highest opening stand of the season -- 48 runs off just 17 balls -- after DC skipper Axar Patel (2/27) won the toss and opted to bowl.

However, the defending champions faltered in the middle overs and managed 45 runs in the last five overs as DC pulled back things in the death overs.

On a better batting surface compared to that in the previous game, Narine took the attack to Dushmantha Chameera (1/46), smashing him for 25 runs in an over that included two sixes -- one of them a one-handed slog over midwicket -- and a four.

Gurbaz then took on Mitchell Starc, hitting two boundaries and a six before edging to Abhishek Porel in the third over, ending the opening stand.

Skipper Ajinkya Rahane (26) continued the momentum, hitting Starc for a six and a four, and then adding a couple of more boundaries off Mukesh Kumar to take KKR to 79/1 at the end of the powerplay.

However, KKR stuttered in the middle overs as DC spinners struck back.

Vipraj Nigam (2/41) trapped Narine leg-before, before Axar Patel removed Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer (7) in quick succession, reducing the visitors to 117/4 in 10 overs.

Young Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44) steadied the innings with Rinku Singh (36), the duo adding 61 runs off 46 balls. Raghuvanshi struck two big sixes off Vipraj, while Rinku targeted Kuldeep Yadav for two boundaries and a six in a 17-run over that helped KKR cross the 150-run mark.

There was a moment of misjudgment when wicketkeeper Porel didn't support Axar's appeal for a catch down the leg side against Rinku. UltraEdge later showed an edge.

KKR kept their run rate above 10 for most part but lost momentum again as both Raghuvanshi and Rinku departed in quick succession, falling to Chameera and Vipraj respectively, just when they looked to accelerate.

Andre Russell blasted two fours and a six to take KKR past the 200-mark. But KKR lost three wickets in as many balls with Starc picking up two wickets in his dramatic last over.