Rahul 60 gives flying start before KKR restrict DC 203 for five

KL Rahul produced a sublime 30-ball 60 before Kolkata Knight Riders clawed their way back to restrict Delhi Capitals to 203 for five, in their inconsequential IPL match, here on Sunday.

Rahul was at his explosive best, smashing five fours and four sixes en route to his sixth fifty of the season, but KKR managed to regain control after his dismissal in the 13th over slowed Delhi's charge.

David Miller (28), Axar Patel (39) and Ashutosh Sharma (18 not out) attempted to provide the late flourish, but they couldnt convert their starts and lacked the authority as DC eventually finished at least 20 runs short of par.

Left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey was the pick of the KKR bowlers with figures of 2/28.

The contest had effectively turned into a dead rubber as early as the fourth over when Rajasthan Royals defeated Mumbai Indians by 30 runs elsewhere at the Wankhede Stadium to seal the fourth and final playoff berth.

The result knocked out both KKR and Punjab Kings, who had stayed alive with their win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday, while Delhi had already been eliminated after PBKS' victory on Saturday.

With little at stake apart from final standings, the lack of intensity was evident on the field too.

KKR vice-captain Rinku Singh dropped Sahil Parakh on seven, while Sunil Narine endured an unusually expensive outing, conceding 38 runs in his four overs before being substituted by Finn Allen after the 12th over.

It also appeared baffling that KKR kept operating Varun Chakravarthy in the dead rubber despite the India spinner carrying a hairline fracture in his left toe.

He returned with 1/35, including the wicket of DC skipper Axar Patel (39) in his final over.

It was Rahul, who set the tone early on by going after Narine.

In the eighth over, he danced down the track and launched him over long-on, with the ball ricocheting onto the bonnet of the promotional car stationed near the ropes.

The next delivery, Rahul again used his feet and lofted the spinner over his head for four in an over that yielded 13 runs.

He continued the assault in Narine's next over, hammering the first ball for another six over long-on.

Narine, however, struck back to end Rahul's developing stand with Sahil Parakh (24), who miscued a delivery.

Rahul however remained relentless, combining elegance with aggression as he attacked Kartik Tyagi in the 11th over with a four and a sublime straight six over long-off to bring up a 25-ball fifty.

The over yielded 20 runs as DC were well looking at 220-plus total at the midway stage.

But KKR finally managed to stem the flow through Anukul Roy (1/23; two overs).

Having hit two boundaries off the left-arm spinner earlier in the over, Rahul went down on one knee looking for another big hit against a slower delivery from outside off, only to drag it towards long-on where Rovman Powell completed a comfortable catch.

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