Kolkata: KL Rahul’s fluent half-century set the tone as Delhi Capitals (DC) wrapped up their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign with a dominant 40-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on Sunday. A disciplined bowling effort led by Lungi Ngidi and Kuldeep Yadav ensured a clinical finish as DC ended their season on a strong note.
Inserted into batting first, DC posted 203/5, their highest total at the venue. Rahul smashed a 30‑ball 60 at a strike rate of 200, while David Miller chipped in with a 19‑ball 28. Defending 204 with ease also meant DC finished at sixth spot in the points table, as KKR folded for 163 in 18.4 overs.
KKR began strongly in their chase, thanks to skipper Ajinkya Rahane hitting 63 off 39 balls, laced with four fours and as many sixes. The slide began when Kuldeep struck twice in successive deliveries, removing Rahane and Rinku Singh, and nearly completed a hat‑trick when Tejasvi Dahiya edged behind, only for Abishek Porel to put down a straightforward chance.
That reprieve denied the wrist‑spinner three in a row, but the damage was already done. From 128/3, KKR lost their way completely, as they lost their last seven wickets for just 35 runs, as the three-time winners ended their season the way they had started it – on a losing note. For DC, Ngidi took 3-27 while Kuldeep, who went wicketless in three consecutive games, bounced back strongly to end with 3-29.
Rahul and Abishek Porel gave DC a brisk start. Porel cracked successive boundaries off Anukul Roy in the opening over and added more fours off Kartik Tyagi, while Rahul lifted Cameron Green for a six and four in the third over. But Porel fell for 22 in the fourth over after edging Dubey behind to the keeper.
Sahil Parakh joined Rahul, and the pair kept the tempo high. The teenage Parakh struck Narine for a six and four, while Rahul cleared him for a six slammed straight down the ground, before punching the wily off-spinner over his head for another boundary. Varun Chakaravarthy was taken for boundaries by Parakh before giving a catch to Ajinkya Rahane off Narine and fell for 24.
Rahul, however, raced to his fifth fifty of this season off 25 balls before he and Axar Patel took two boundaries each off Tyagi and Roy. But Rahul fell to Roy in the 13th over by holing out to long-off. Axar and Miller then steadied the innings, adding crucial runs against spinners.
Axar’s 39 off 25 included two sixes before he was dismissed by Chakaravarthy in the 17th over. After that, Miller took charge in the death overs by smashing Dubey for three sixes, even as Ashutosh Sharma chipped in by striking a six and four off Tyagi and was unbeaten on 18. With KKR dropping catches, DC capitalised to add 63 runs in the last five overs and put KKR on the path of a stiff chase.
Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen gave KKR a brisk start via a 43-run opening stand before Ngidi castled the latter for 20. Manish Pandey joined Rahane, and the pair added 44 runs before Ngidi returned to dismiss Pandey for 25, courtesy a sharp catch by Starc. Cameron Green fell cheaply to Kuldeep, as KKR were at 98/3 after 10 overs.
Rahane reached his fifty soon after in 31 balls, but the required rate climbed above 10. Rahane looked set to take KKR home, but Kuldeep’s double strike in the 13th over turned the game by removing him and Rinku in quick succession.
Though Dahiya survived the hat-trick ball from Kuldeep, Axar Patel ensured it didn’t cost DC much as he castled him for just one. After Powell was run-out for 29, Ngidi and Starc returned to take out the remaining batters, as DC signed off on a high.
Brief Scores:
Delhi Capitals 203/5 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 60, Axar Patel 39; Saurabh Dubey 2-28, Anukul Roy 1-23) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 163 all out in 18.4 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 63, Rovman Powell 29; Lungi Ngidi 3-27, Kuldeep Yadav 3-29) by 40 runs.
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–IANS
