In a high-octane clash under the Delhi lights, it was two South Africans who stole the narrative—but in very different ways. Faf du Plessis rolled back the years with a commanding 62 off 45 balls, while Tristan Stubbs’ brief stay at the crease may haunt Delhi Capitals’ post-mortem of their 14-run loss to the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Chasing a daunting 205, Delhi Capitals seemed poised for the kill. Faf du Plessis was thriving, delighting in the pace-friendly pitch after a lean run of form, and DC had just milked KKR’s premier spinners—Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy—for plenty. The match turned, however, not long after Stubbs walked in and walked back.
Sunil Narine, leading KKR in Ajinkya Rahane’s absence due to a finger injury, was the architect of the turnaround. Axar Patel had just smashed him for a third six, and with 69 needed off 41, DC looked ahead. But Narine struck twice in that over—first removing Axar, then deceiving Stubbs with a flighted off-break. Stubbs, whose composure and finishing have become central to DC’s hopes this season, lasted just three balls. His dismissal was more than a blip—it was the beginning of a collapse.
Du Plessis, by then battling fatigue and spin, couldn’t keep the charge going. His strike rate against pace (206.25) dwarfed his effectiveness against spin (100), and KKR, sensing the trend, tightened the screws with more turn. Narine claimed Faf too, finishing with 3 for 29 and the Player of the Match award—alongside a brilliant run-out and surprise captaincy masterclass.
For Stubbs, it was a night to forget. For Faf, it was a return to form, but one that lacked the fairytale ending.
South African Highlights:
- Faf du Plessis: 62 (45), 7 fours, 2 sixes – held the DC innings together but fell at a crucial moment.
- Tristan Stubbs: 1 (3) – dismissed during a key momentum shift, triggering Delhi’s collapse.
Meanwhile, KKR’s 204/9 was powered by an all-round batting effort, including 44 from young Angkrish Raghuvanshi and fast starts by Narine (27 off 16) and Rahane (26 off 14). Mitchell Starc tried valiantly with the ball for DC, claiming 3 wickets, but their pacers leaked far too many.
In the end, it was Sunil Narine—part spinner, part tactician—who held the cards. And for the South Africans in this contest, it was a night of contrasting tales: Faf’s class reaffirmed, Stubbs’ potential tempered.
KKR now sit on 9 points from 10 games, keeping playoff hopes alive. DC, despite 12 from 10, are now in a scrap to finish top two—a spot they once seemed destined for.
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