Kolkata Knight Riders Shakib Al Hasan (L), Gautam Gambhir (C) and Jacques Kallis celebrate after the wicket of unseen Delhi Daredevils Ross Taylor during the IPL Twenty20 first playoff cricket match between Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders at Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in Pune on May 22, 2012. -AFP Photo

PUNE: Jacques Kallis and Sunil Narine shared four wickets to bowl Kolkata Knight Riders into the Indian Premier League final with a comfortable 18-run victory over Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday.

South African paceman Kallis and West Indies spinner Narine each finished with 2-24 as Kolkata restricted Delhi to 144-8 in their 20 overs after posting 162-4 on a slow pitch in Pune.

Delhi lost hard-hitting openers Virender Sehwag (10) and David Warner (seven) with 24 runs on the board before Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene and Naman Ojha (28) steadied the innings with a 59-run stand for the third wicket.

They suffered a big blow in the 15th over when Jayawardene was stumped off left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla after hitting six fours in his 33-ball 40.

Delhi needed 46 runs to win in the last four overs with six wickets in hand, but faltered against Kallis and Narine.

Kolkata earlier plundered 56 runs in their last four overs to post a competitive total, with Yusuf Pathan cracking two sixes and three fours in a 21-ball 40 not out and Laxmi Shukla making an unbeaten 24.

Kolkata made a good start after electing to bat when skipper Gautam Gambhir (32) and New Zealander Brendon McCullum (31) added 48 runs for the opening wicket off 5.5 overs.

Gambhir, who pulled pacemen Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron for sixes, also hit three fours in his brisk 16-ball knock before he was run out, while McCullum fell soon after smashing left-arm spinner Pawan Negi for a six.

Kallis contributed a 33-ball 30 before being caught in the deep by New Zealander Ross Taylor off Yadav.

Delhi will now meet the winner of Wednesday's match between Mumbai Indians and defending champions Chennai Super Kings on Friday. The final will be played in Chennai on Sunday.

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...