Rahul’s Fifty, Kuldeep’s 3-fer Help DC Sign Off With Win
Delhi Capitals 203/5 beat Kolkata Knight Riders 163 all out by 40 runs at Eden Gardens. Context: Final league game for both teams, no playoff implications. RR had already sealed 4th spot earlier that day. DC finish: 6th with 7 wins, 7 losses, 14 points. KKR: 7th with 6 wins.
In the end, KKR lost this game as well. After DC rode on KL Rahul's 30-ball 60 to post 203 for 5, KKR were 126 for 3 after 13 overs. Kuldeep Yadav then dismissed Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh off successive deliveries to derail them. Eventually, KKR were all out for 163 in 18.4 overs.
KL Rahul’s Blitz Sets It Up
Rahul: 60 off 30 balls, SR 200.00, 5 fours, 4 sixes – his 6th fifty of the season. Key phase: 25-ball fifty. Targeted Sunil Narine, dancing down to loft him for boundaries. Support: Abishek Porel 22, Sahil Parakh 24, Axar Patel 39 off 25, David Miller 28 off 19. DC total: 203/5 – their highest at Eden Gardens.
In the last over of the powerplay, Sahil Parakh also got a reprieve. He was on 7 when he reversed-swept Sunil Narine towards cover-point where Rinku grassed the chance. Narine eventually had him caught at extra cover for 24 off 17.
Kuldeep Yadav’s Match-Turning Spell
Kuldeep: 4-0-29-3 – comeback game after being dropped for 3 matches. Turning point 15th over: Dismissed Cameron Green 2, then Rahane 63 and Rinku Singh 0 off successive balls. Hat-trick miss: Tejasvi Dahiya edged next ball but Porel dropped it. Impact: From 128/3, KKR collapsed to 163 all out, losing last 7 wickets for 35 runs. Quote: Kuldeep “tormented his former franchise with a decisive spell”.
DC: Ended “on a high” after poor season. Finished 6th, above KKR. KKR: 7th, 6 wins from 14. Second straight poor season under Rahane after finishing 8th in 2025. Player of Match: Kuldeep Yadav for 3/29
Bottom line: In a game that didn’t matter for playoffs, Rahul’s 30-ball 60 gave DC 203, then Kuldeep’s 3/29 – including Rahane + Rinku in 2 balls – wrecked KKR’s chase. DC signed off IPL 2026 with a “clinical 40-run win” and bragging rights over KKR.
When substitute fielder Sameer Rizvi's direct hit from long-off found Rovman Powell short at the non-striker's end, the end was swift. There was no Narine with the bat, as Allen had replaced him as Impact Player during the first innings itself, and the lower order didn't have the skills to deal with Starc and Ngidi. All told, KKR lost their last seven wickets for 37 runs.
