Choosing to bat first proved to be a strategic advantage for the Kolkata Knight Riders, as their opening duo of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt delivered a strong performance. Displaying impressive batting prowess, they propelled their team to a score of 32/0 within just three overs.
Their combined efforts, contributing seven, 10, and 15 runs respectively in the initial overs, kept the Delhi bowlers under pressure, with the opposition desperately seeking a breakthrough.
However, amidst the relentless assault from the Knight Riders’ batsmen, a crucial moment unfolded due to a delayed decision by Pant, which had the potential to alter the course of the game.
In the fourth over, Delhi’s Ishant Sharma bowled a well-directed short-of-a-good-length delivery to the experienced Narine. Narine, attempting to loft the ball, managed only a thin edge, resulting in a simple catch for Pant. Ishant, appearing disinterested in reviewing the decision, started walking away.
However, Mitchell Marsh, positioned at cover, showed interest in a review and sought guidance from Pant. Despite initial hesitation, Pant eventually opted for the Decision Review System (DRS). However, the deliberation consumed valuable time, and by the time Pant made the decision, the DRS timer had expired, leaving the on-field umpire, Akshay Totre, to inform Pant of the missed opportunity.
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Several overs later, as Narine continued to punish the Kolkata bowlers with a remarkable strike rate of 238, a replay of the critical delivery revealed that the ball had indeed brushed Narine’s bat. The Snickometer confirmed the contact, indicating that if Pant had initiated the review promptly, Narine would have been dismissed. Nonetheless, Narine went on to score an impressive 39-ball 85.