Delhi Daredevils batsman Mahela Jayawardene (left) is stumped by Kolkata Knight Riders wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum. Pic/AFP

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Daredevils were hoping their explosive openers would give them a good start, but both David Warner (7) and Virender Sehwag (10) departed early.u00a0A questionable decision by umpire Billy Doctrove ended the Australian's innings and Sehwag edged the very next u00a0ball off L Balaji to give the Knights a twin breakthrough.u00a0

The Daredevils gave it everything they had, but once Mahela Jayawardene was dismissed by Iqbal Abdulla, with Delhi needing 54 runs from 5.3 overs, it was KKR’s match from there.Daredevils were also guilty of making some tactical mistakes.

They went into the game with just one spinner, Pawan Negi, who was their most economical bowler with figures of 4-0-18-1. In contrast, KKR went in with three genuine spinners, and it kept getting tougher to hit the spinners as the game progressed, which has been a regular feature at this ground.

Daredevils’ idea of holding back Ross Taylor till the 17th over, and promoting even Pawan Negi ahead of him, was strange. The Kiwi lasted just eight balls, with required ran rate having gone up above 22 runs per over.

Yusuf Pathan came good in the crucial game hitting 40 valuable runs off just 21 deliveries. Pic/AFP

Earlier, KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir and Brendon McCullum gave them a terrific start, scoring 48 runs of 5.4 overs, before Gambhir was run out. His dismissal affected the run-rate, as the next five overs produced only 23 runs.u00a0

And just when Jacques Kallis and McCullum started to fire, KKR suffered a setback, as the latter and Shakib al Hasan were dismissed in the space of six balls.

Irfan Pathan (centre) waits for medical help as he bleeding from his right hand. Pic/AFP

KKR were tottering at 106 for four in 16 overs, but Pathan and Shukla made sure they had a defendable total. For Knight Riders it was their third consecutive win and second against Daredevils in the season.

Pathan lifted the gloom by hitting Morne Morkel for a six and pressed the accelerator. He also hit Yadav for a four and was getting good support from Shukla. Both of the them creamed Morkel for 15 runs and Aaron for 21 runs in the last two overs. Pathan hammered Aaron for one six and a couple of boundaries.

Brief scores:

Kolkata Knight Riders 162-4 (Y. Pathan 40 not out, G. Gambhir 32, B. McCullum 31, J. Kallis 30, L. Shukla 24 not out) beat Delhi Daredevils 144-8 (M. Jayawardene 40, N. Ojha 28; J. Kallis 2-24, S. Narine 2-24) by 18 runs.