Sharjah: Riding on a brilliant fifty by Venkatesh Iyer (55 off 41), Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Capitals by 3 wickets in a thrilling Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2021 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, here Wednesday.
KKR will now face Chennai Super Kings in the final, which is scheduled to be played at Dubai International Stadium Friday.
A clinical bowling performance by bowlers helped Kolkata Knight Riders restrict Delhi Capitals to 135/5 in 20 overs. For Delhi, Shikhar Dhawan (36), Shreyas Iyer (30*) were the top-scorers while Varun Chakaravarthy (2/26) was the most successful bowler for KKR.
Chasing a total of 136 runs for victory, Iyer hit his third fifty of the season while Gill and Nitish Rana also made important contributions of 46 and 13 respectively to help the team reach close to the finish line.
But things took a dramatic turn when Gill got out and KKR collapsed from 125 for 2 to 130 for 7 before Rahul Tripathi held his nerve and hit a six in the final over, leading his team to victory with 1 ball left.
Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals: 135-5 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 36, Shreyas Iyer 30*; Varun Chakaravarthy (2/26) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (Venkatesh Iyer 55, Shubman Gill 46; Kagiso Rabada 2/23).