New Delhi, April 30 (HS): In a crucial match of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Tuesday night, Delhi Capitals faced a loss by 14 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders. In this match played at Arun Jaitley Stadium, KKR batted first and scored 204 runs, while Delhi’s team could only manage 190 runs in response.

Faf du Plessis (62 runs off 45 balls), captain Axar Patel (43 runs off 23 balls), and young batsman Vipraj Nigam (38 runs off 19 balls) batted well, but the team could not achieve the target.

In the post-match press conference, Vipraj Nigam said, Our plan from the start was to target their two main spinners, and we did that. But at several points, the shot selection was not right, and that’s where the match slipped away from us.

When asked why they decided to bowl first after winning the toss, he explained, We hoped that dew would fall later, making batting easier, but that didn’t happen. The wicket was quite good for batting. In the first innings, 200+ runs were scored and 190 runs in the second, showing that it was a batting-friendly pitch.

Reflecting on his IPL journey so far, Vipraj said, Cricket is a journey with its ups and downs. The most important thing is your mindset and the team’s environment. I have always received support from Axar Bhai, KL Bhai, and the other senior players.

Regarding his friendship with Kuldeep Yadav, he said, We play together in domestic cricket, so we have a good bonding. We had quite a bit of conversation before the IPL, and it feels good to have him in the team.

Currently, Delhi Capitals, led by Axar Patel, is in fourth place in the points table, and the team will play their next match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, aiming to secure a victory and make a comeback in the tournament.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar