Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 30: Delhi Capitals’ home woes continued as they suffered a 14-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with leg-spin all-rounder Vipraj Nigam admitting the team could have won had their set batters stayed till the end.

Chasing 205, DC were well-placed with a 76-run stand between Faf du Plessis and skipper Axar Patel. But Sunil Narine’s triple strike in the 14th over dismantled their momentum, with DC collapsing from 136/3 to 190/9. Six of DC’s nine wickets fell to spin, exposing a key weakness.

“Our plan was to target their main two spinners, and it was working until our set batters got out,” said Nigam, who scored a brisk 38 off 19 balls. “Had they continued, we could have easily won.”

Nigam, who also took 2/41, credited team management and senior players like Axar Patel and KL Rahul for backing him through a dry patch. “I’m lucky to have that support. Even if things go wrong in a couple of games, they tell us not to overthink.”

He also praised his camaraderie with fellow UP teammate Kuldeep Yadav, calling it a big help during tough phases.

For KKR, Anukul Roy, playing his first game of the season, bowled a tidy 1/27. “The pitch didn’t offer much turn, but I adjusted my lines. I’ve been preparing for such chances,” he said, adding that guidance from Narine, Varun, and Moeen Ali helped him stay match-ready.