April 30, 2025: It was a day of mixed fortunes for both captains in the IPL 2025 clash between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. While KKR’s Ajinkya Rahane was forced off the field due to a hand injury, it was DC’s captain Axar Patel who battled through the pain of his own injury, but his efforts weren’t enough to steer his side to victory. The Delhi side fell short by 14 runs, with Rahane’s injury and Narine’s magical spell turning the tide in KKR’s favor.
Axar Patel, despite a painful hand injury, continued to fight for his team in the chase. “My hand dragged on the surface, so the skin peeled off. So whenever I tried batting, it was paining. We have three-four days gap before the SRH game, so I hope to recover,” Axar said in the post-match presentation.
Axar had to leave the field during the slog overs, and DC fans saw Faf du Plessis stepping up to make field changes. KL Rahul was also seen offering support in his absence. Axar had earlier hit a quickfire 43 off 23 balls, including three sixes and four fours, in an attempt to lift DC’s chase. However, Sunil Narine dismissed him, and his departure marked a crucial turning point in the game.
Earlier, Axar had been impressive with the ball, taking two wickets for 27 runs in his four overs, dismissing KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer. But his team’s hopes were dashed after losing key wickets in the middle order, with Narine playing a pivotal role in KKR’s comeback.
Rahane, who had earlier been forced off the field with his own injury, watched from the sidelines as Narine stepped in as captain and led KKR to a 14-run victory. Rahane’s absence, however, didn’t seem to disrupt the team’s momentum as Narine led from the front, taking vital wickets and pushing DC onto the back foot.
Despite this defeat, DC remains in fourth place on the points table with five games left in the season. The Capitals now have a short gap before their next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 5. However, with Axar’s injury in question, the team will have to carefully monitor his recovery ahead of the crucial clash.
KKR, on the other hand, will look to build on this win as they stay alive in the race for a playoff spot, with Narine’s leadership and bowling making all the difference.