IPL 2026: KL Rahul, Kuldeep Shine as Delhi Capitals Beat KKR by 40 Runs in Final League Match

Score: Delhi Capitals 203/5 in 20 overs beat Kolkata Knight Riders 163 all out in 18.4 overs by 40 runs

Kolkata, May 2026 : Delhi Capitals ended their IPL 2026 campaign on a winning note with a commanding 40-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Sunday. Powered by a fluent half-century from KL Rahul and a disciplined bowling effort led by Lungi Ngidi and Kuldeep Yadav, DC outclassed KKR in all departments to finish their season in sixth place on the points table.

Batting first after being put in, Delhi Capitals posted an imposing 203/5 in their allotted 20 overs — their highest total at Eden Gardens. KL Rahul anchored the innings with a sparkling 60 off just 30 balls at a strike rate of 200, while Axar Patel and David Miller provided crucial support in the middle and death overs respectively.

In reply, Kolkata Knight Riders started positively but collapsed dramatically after losing momentum in the middle overs. Chasing 204, KKR were bowled out for 163 in 18.4 overs despite captain Ajinkya Rahane’s aggressive 63 off 39 deliveries.

The defeat meant Kolkata ended their season disappointingly, while Delhi Capitals signed off with a clinical all-round performance.

Delhi Capitals got off to an aggressive start with KL Rahul and Abishek Porel attacking from the outset. Porel looked in good touch early, striking consecutive boundaries off Anukul Roy and adding more fours against Kartik Tyagi. Rahul too played with intent, lofting Cameron Green for a six before following it with a crisp boundary.

The opening partnership was broken in the fourth over when Porel edged Saurabh Dubey behind to the wicketkeeper after scoring a brisk 22.

Young Sahil Parakh then joined Rahul in the middle, and the duo ensured the scoring rate remained high. Parakh impressed with fearless strokeplay against experienced spinners, hitting Sunil Narine for a six and a four. Rahul also targeted Narine, smashing him straight down the ground for a six and later punching him over his head for another boundary.

The pair continued to dominate before Narine dismissed Parakh for 24 after he was caught by Rahane. Despite losing wickets, Delhi maintained momentum through Rahul’s fluent batting.

Rahul brought up his fifth half-century of the season in just 25 deliveries. He mixed elegance with aggression, finding boundaries regularly against both pace and spin. Alongside Axar Patel, Rahul accelerated further by taking boundaries off Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy.

However, Rahul’s entertaining knock ended in the 13th over when he holed out to long-off off Anukul Roy after scoring 60 from 30 balls, including several boundaries and sixes.

After Rahul’s dismissal, Axar Patel took charge in the middle overs. The Delhi skipper played a valuable innings of 39 off 25 balls and added stability to the innings along with David Miller.

Axar struck two towering sixes before Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed him in the 17th over. By then, Delhi had laid the perfect platform for a strong finish.

David Miller then unleashed his power-hitting in the death overs. The left-hander hammered Saurabh Dubey for three sixes in a single over, while Ashutosh Sharma contributed an unbeaten 18 with a six and a boundary off Kartik Tyagi.

KKR’s fielding lapses further hurt their chances as dropped catches allowed Delhi to capitalise fully. DC added 63 runs in the final five overs to finish with a challenging total of 203/5.

Kolkata Knight Riders began the chase positively through Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen. The opening pair added 43 runs quickly before Lungi Ngidi dismissed Allen for 20 with a delivery that crashed into the stumps.

Rahane continued attacking and found support from Manish Pandey. The duo stitched together a 44-run partnership to keep KKR in the hunt. Pandey scored 25 before Ngidi returned to remove him, thanks to an excellent catch by Mitchell Starc.

Cameron Green failed to make an impact and was dismissed cheaply by Kuldeep Yadav, leaving KKR at 98/3 after 10 overs.

Rahane, meanwhile, completed a well-made fifty off 31 balls and appeared set to guide KKR towards the target. But the turning point came in the 13th over when Kuldeep Yadav changed the course of the match with two wickets in consecutive deliveries.

The wrist-spinner first removed Rahane and then dismissed Rinku Singh on the very next ball, silencing the Eden Gardens crowd. Kuldeep nearly completed a hat-trick when Tejasvi Dahiya edged behind, but wicketkeeper Abishek Porel dropped a straightforward chance.

Although Dahiya survived, Delhi Capitals quickly regained control. Axar Patel bowled him for just one, while Rovman Powell’s run-out for 29 further derailed KKR’s chase.

With the pressure mounting, Ngidi and Mitchell Starc cleaned up the remaining wickets efficiently. KKR lost their final seven wickets for just 35 runs, collapsing from a promising 128/3 to 163 all out.

For Delhi Capitals, Ngidi starred with figures of 3/27, while Kuldeep Yadav bounced back from three wicketless matches to finish with 3/29.

The emphatic victory ensured Delhi Capitals ended their IPL 2026 campaign with momentum and pride, while Kolkata Knight Riders were left to reflect on another inconsistent season that concluded with a heavy defeat at home.

Team Maverick