XtraTime Web Desk: What a thrilling encounter between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in the 16th match of this year's Indian Premier League.

Batting first, Delhi put up a total of 228 runs, their second highest total in the history of IPL. Shreyas Iyer, the captain of the team led from front as he scored 88 of 38 deliveries and the young Prithvi Shaw scored 66 of 41 balls. Rishabh Pant scored 38 of 17 balls in the end and Delhi had the upper hand after first innings.

Kolkata Knight Riders had a decent start. They scored 59 runs in the power-play and was eyeing to win the match. Nitish Rana scored 58 runs but couldn't have a decent partnership with any other players. When everything was going against KKR, Eoin Morgan and Rahul Tripathi gave them some hope. Morgan scored 44 of just 18 balls while Tripathi scored 36 of just 16 balls. However, their efforts went in vain as KKR lost the match by 18 runs. However, commendable performance from the team at the tail-end of the match.

Shreyas Iyer, the captain of the Delhi Capitals was chosen as the Man of the Match because of his match changing knock. In the post match conference, the captain said that playing at Sharjah is a thrilling experience even though some of the legends think that it's just a cruel punishment for the bowlers. “It is really difficult to defend here. Such an amazing total but still. It is always a thrill to come and play here. Winning the match is an icing on the cake.”

Speaking about his innings Iyer said, “I thought today was the right time to take the bowlers on a smaller ground. I took it one six at a time. I won't say I am a gifted player because I know the hard work and smart work I out into it.”

The captain further added, “We keep talking about the close victories. This was one of them, and it is always satisfying. That after losing Mishra when he was bowling so well. We were confident we had two good overs left but you never know on this wicket at Sharjah. We have got a good platform, but we have to be insatiable from here on.”

Dinesh Karthik in the post match conference was happy with the fighting spirit of the team. He said, “The way the boys batted is something I am proud of. We kept fighting, which is the nature of this team. To be honest, a couple more sixes, and we would have crossed the line. So not much to fault the bowlers for. Perhaps 10 runs too many, but two more hits and we might have been through.”

Speaking about the West Indian duo of Andre Russell and out of form Sunil Narine, KKR captain said, “We want to give Russell more time to make an impact on the game. We will discuss Narine's role with the coaches, but I have got full confidence in Narine.”

IPL 2020: Shreyas Iyer is proud of his team for this reason