IPL 2018: Shreyas Iyer shreds Kolkata Knight Riders to keep Delhi's play-off hopes alive

Iyer stands tall

After Gautam Gambhir’s very sensible, and humble, decision to drop himself as captain of the Daredevils – the burden of captaincy fell to fresh-faced 23-year-old Shreyas Iyer.

With Delhi’s season on the line Iyer came to the crease with the Daredevils at 59 for 1, after Prithvi Shaw and Colin Munro had given Delhi their best opening partnership of the campaign.

Iyer took full advantage of the platform, blasting 93 from 40 balls including three boundaries and a staggering 10 sixes.

After 16 overs the Daredevils were 143 for 3 with Iyer 44 off 27 balls, but with some stunning power hitting he tonked 49 off the next 13 balls including seven maximums.

Four of those sixes came in a stunning last over where Iyer took 28 off Shivan Mavi including four sixes.

In the field Iyer managed his bowlers well to make sure Kolkata were never in the hunt despite some lusty hitting by Andre Russell, 44 off 30.

The best and worst of Glenn Maxwell

The mercurial Australian is a frustrating figure.

He has the ability to perform extraordinary feats but due to lack of application or concentration he can also be guilty of inexplicable mistakes.

The 19^th over of Delhi’s innings summed up Maxwell perfectly.

With the Daredevils on track for a huge score Maxwell was facing up to his old Australian team mate Mitchell Johnson.

Shreyas Iyer took a single off the first ball of the over and off the second Maxwell hooked Johnson superbly for six behind square – to set himself up perfectly for a big-scoring over.

The next ball was a slower ball, well-pitched up outside off.

But instead of waiting for the ball and playing it over off Maxwell went for a ridiculous premeditated reverse sweep. No surprise it was an air swing.

The next ball – now with the pressure on – Maxwell again swung wildly, again missing.

So rather than keeping his head and collecting 10 or 14 from a trio of balls, by going for 18 he ended up just with the one maximum.

At the non-striker’s end for the 20^th over he then ran himself out, after being sent back by Iyer attempting a suicidal single, finishing with 27 from 18 balls.

Once known as “The Big Show”, Maxwell now might be better known as “The No Show.”

Wheels come off Knight Riders

After a promising start to the tournament where they edged out Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore and fell to the Super Kings on the second last ball after posting 202 for 6, the Knight Riders are wobbling.

They were unluckily beaten last time out by Kings XI Punjab on the DLS Method after posting a competitive 191 for 7 but they were well beaten by Delhi on Friday night with both bat and ball.

KKR’s bowling now seems a little light with Johnson and Mavi looking off top pace and the batting over reliant on Andre Russell.

Kolkata now face Royal Challengers (2-4) on Sunday night in Bangalore in a game both will be desperate to win.

Is it too late for Delhi?

In most years of the IPL you would say two wins from your first seven matches would rule you out of playoff contention.

But such is the convoluted nature of this year’s competition, especially the lower half of the table, that the Daredevils (and in fact Mumbai with one win from six matches) are not out of the reckoning.

Delhi are now just two points behind the Knight Riders and Rajasthan, who are currently tied in the final playoff spot. Rajasthan have a game in hand.

Next up for the Daredevils are the current leaders, Chennai Super Kings, on Monday and a win in that match would put them right back in the reckoning – although that won’t be easy against MS Dhoni’s in form side.

But if Delhi can return from Pune with a win then they meet Rajasthan next Wednesday in Delhi in a match that could, already at this stage, have a major say on who makes the final four.