The Delhi Daredevils went to the top of the Indian Premier League on Sunday, beating the last-place Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets for their seventh win of the tournament.
Delhi leads with 14 points from nine games, one point more than Chennai Super Kings, who have played an extra game.
The Mumbai Indians beat the Bangalore Royal Challengers by 16 runs at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth. Mumbai has nine points, one more than Bangalore.
Delhi legspinner Amit Mishra took 3-14 from four overs to help limit Kolkata to 123-8.
In reply, A.B. de Villiers hit 40 not out and David Warner 36 as Delhi eclipsed the total at the Wanderers with 17 balls to spare and inflict Kolkata’s sixth straight defeat.
De Villiers smashed five boundaries in 32 balls, while Warner blasted five boundaries and a six in 23 deliveries.
”The wicket was good to chase and it worked well for us,” Delhi stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir said of his choice to field first.
”AB batted well until the end. Winning is a habit and we need to maintain that habit.”
Kolkata captain Brendon McCullum, dismissed for 6 in a bad lbw decision as the ball was clearly missing off stump, admitted that morale was low.
”It’s tough when you always lose. It’s not a happy dressing room,” the New Zealander said. ”We had a tough start losing three wickets at the top. We fought well to reach 123. Unfortunately, we lost to a better team today.”
In Port Elizabeth, Ajankya Rahane hit 62 and JP Duminy 59 to share an unbeaten stand of 104 — an IPL record for the third wicket — and help the Indians to 157-2.
Mumbai offspinner Harbhajan Singh took 2-15 with all four other bowlers taking a single wicket to restrict Bangalore to 141-7. – Sapa-AP