Delhi Capitals began their chase of Kolkata Night Riders total of 154/6 in truly spectacular fashion thanks to their young Indian opener Prithvi Shaw.
KKR handed the new ball to Shivam Mavi and few could have predicted the onslaught that followed. The right-arm pacer started the over with a wide (which could have well been five wides but for a diving stop by Dinesh Karthik). He then watched the next six balls disappear to all parts of the ground.
DC vs KKR as it happened: Prithvi Shaw’s blazing 82 powers Delhi Capitals to 7-wicket win
Shaw hit the first ball over the bowler’s head, picking the incoming delivery quickly. The next ball was angled into him and Shaw picked it easily for another four. The third ball was a bit too straight and it was thumped through the covers. The fourth delivery was an attempted slower ball gone wrong and Shaw hit the low full toss through the covers again. The fifth was steered slightly wide of point and the final ball was lofted drive over extra cover.
Mavi kept pitching it near the good slot and Shaw kept punishing him.
The feat of hitting six fours in an over has been achieved just once before in the IPL but never happened in the first over of the innings.
Rahane achieved the feat in the 14th over the match between RR and RCB on April 15, 2012 in Bengaluru when he took on Sreenath Aravind. Rahane went on to score 103* (60) that night.
Shaw also went on to score the fastest half century of the season so far in 18 balls, before being dismissed for a 41-ball 82 with 11 fours and three sixes. DC won the match by seven wickets.
Asked to bat first, Kolkata Knight Riders made 154/6. Opener Shubman Gill made a 38-ball 43 but KKR slipped to 82/5 before Andrew Russell smashed 45 off 27 balls to take them past the 150-mark at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
In reply, DC chased down the target in 16.3 overs. Shaw shared 142 runs for the first wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (46).
Match No 25, DC vs KKR in Ahmedabad:
KKR innings: 10 fours in 20 overs
DC innings: 10 fours in 4.1 overs
Fastest half centuries of IPL 2021
| PLAYER | Against | Venue | Match Date | Balls faced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prithvi Shaw (DC) | KKR | Ahmedabad | 29 April 2021 | 18 |
| Deepak Hooda (PBKS) | RR | Mumbai | 12 April 2021 | 20 |
| Andre Russell (KKR) | CSK | Mumbai | 21 April 2021 | 21 |
| Pat Cummins (KKR) | CSK | Mumbai | 21 April 2021 | 23 |
| Shimron Hetmyer (DC) | RCB | Ahmedabad | 27 April 2021 | 23 |
Here are some reactions to Shaw’s innings:
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