KOLKATA — Delhi Capitals ended their IPL 2026 season on a high note by registering a comprehensive 40-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. Powered by KL Rahul’s destructive half-century and a match-turning spell from spin-wizard Kuldeep Yadav, DC successfully defended their total of 203 to wrap up a 6th-place finish.
MATCH RESULT
Player of the Match: Kuldeep Yadav (3/29)
First Innings: Rahul’s Blazing Intent Sets Up 203
Sent to bat first on a high-scoring Eden Gardens track, Delhi opening batsman KL Rahul went on an absolute rampage. Rahul smashed a spectacular 60 off 30 deliveries at a strike rate of 200, clearing the boundaries with 4 sixes. Stable contributions from skipper Axar Patel (39 off 25) and a late-innings push from David Miller (28 off 19) hoisted Delhi to a formidable 203/5. For KKR, domestic bowler Saurabh Dubey took 2/28.
The Chase: Rahane’s Fighting 63 Undone by Left-Arm Spin
Chasing 204, Kolkata counter-attacked beautifully behind veteran **Ajinkya Rahane**, who anchored the chase with a supreme **63 off 39 balls** (4 boundaries, 4 sixes). However, the turning point arrived when wrist-spinner **Kuldeep Yadav** dismissed Rahane and then removed dangerous finisher Rinku Singh for a golden duck on consecutive balls. Lungi Ngidi (3/27) ripped through the tail to bowl out KKR for 163 inside 18.4 overs.
Top Performers of the Match
| Batter | Team | Runs | Balls Faced | Fours | Sixes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane | KKR | 63 | 39 | 4 | 4 | 161.54 |
| KL Rahul | DC | 60 | 30 | 5 | 4 | 200.00 |
| Axar Patel | DC | 39 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 156.00 |
Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals (DC)
- KL Rahul
- Abishek Porel
- Sahil Parakh
- Tristan Stubbs
- David Miller
- Axar Patel (c)
- Ashutosh Sharma
- Madhav Tiwari
- Auqib Nabi
- Lungi Ngidi
- Mitchell Starc
- Impact Player: Kuldeep Yadav
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Finn Allen
- Tejasvi Singh Dahiya
- Cameron Green
- Rovman Powell
- Manish Pandey
- Rinku Singh
- Sunil Narine
- Anukul Roy
- Kartik Tyagi
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Impact Player: Saurabh Dubey
