IPL 2024, DC vs KKR - Angkrish Raghuvansi,  An Impressive First Impression

Angkrish Raghuvansi after his maiden IPL half-century [iplt20.com]Angkrish Raghuvansi after his maiden IPL half-century [iplt20.com]

Kolkata Knight Riders convincingly defeated the Delhi Capitals by 106 runs in a one-sided affair in the 16th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). 

The foundation of this massive victory was laid by the awe-inspiring performance of Sunil Narine, who scored a destructive 85 runs off just 39 balls. His innings set KKR on the path of an enormous total, which was further consolidated by finishers like Andre Russell and Rinku Singh, who played fiery cameos and helped KKR to the second-highest total in the league's history, a mammoth 272 in 20 overs. 

More than 75% of the match was decided by the end of the first innings, but the KKR bowlers ensured a complete performance and restricted DC to 166, winning the game by 106 runs. 

While there were many star performers in this tremendous cricketing display, it also saw the birth of a protostar - Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi's first impression on the big stage

The young Indian top-order batter impressed the cricketing critics with his antics in the 2022 U-19 World Cup, where he scored 278 runs and played a significant role in India's title run. 

Angkrish impressed everyone with his show in the domestic circuit and caught the eye of KKR scouts. During the IPL 2024 auction, the franchise snapped him up at his base price of INR 20 Lakhs. 


Raghuvansi was a part of the playing 12 in the match against RCB but did not get a chance to bat. However, the KKR management decided to promote him to the order against DC, and he repaid the faith they showed in him. 

Raghuvansi played a flamboyant knock of 54 runs from 27 balls, adding to the destruction Sunil Narine was already causing at the other end. Let us have a look at this innings progression. 

Angkrish Raghuvansi innings progression vs DC (per 10 Balls) [OneCricket]Angkrish Raghuvansi innings progression vs DC (per 10 Balls) [OneCricket]


The figure shows that Raghuvansi understood the situation well and nicely understood the wicket. He thought it was a great track to bat on, and KKR needed a big total to win here. Thus, he decided to be aggressive from the beginning of the innings and never let his strike rate drop below the 150 mark. 

Now, let us look at his scoring rate against the different types of bowlers. 

Bowling Type
Strike Rate
Pacers191.66
Medium Pacers161.66
Spinners200

The strike rate of Raghuvanshi against the different types of bowlers shows us that he was severe on every one of them, and no one was exempted. This points to the fact that nothing troubled him, from the express pace of Anrich Nortje to the perfection of Axar Patel. Although some of this credit might go to the pitch, one cannot take away anything from the temperament the young man has shown. 


The talent is obviously there, and his first impression of himself on the big stage promises some big things shortly. He will be tested once the conditions are not so favourable for him. Still, Indian cricket fans will hope he passes the test with flying colours and transforms into one of the brightest stars in the Indian cricketing galaxy.