As the IPL 2026 league stage reaches the conclusion, with Kolkata Knight Riders taking on Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens in the final league match of the season on Sunday. The match is very vital in determining the fate of the tournament’s final playoff spot.
Talking about KKR, their campaign this season has been filled with ups and downs. At one stage, their campaign looked completely lost. After six matches, they had managed only a single point, earned through a washed-out fixture against Punjab Kings. Moreover, their high-profile signing, Cameron Green, struggled to justify his hefty price tag with inconsistent performances in both departments. The bowling attack too lacked penetration, while the batting order failed to fire.
However, KKR slowly rediscovered rhythm both in the batting and bowling departments. Sunil Narine proved his value as a match-winner, while Varun Chakravarthy found rhythm with the ball. Young pacer Kartik Tyagi contributed heavily, and Green gradually began contributing in crucial situations. With all this, KKR have transformed into a far more balanced and dangerous unit and will look to win big in order to reach the playoffs.
Meanwhile, DC began the season nicely, winning early matches. However, inconsistency became their biggest enemy after initial success. Although they are now out of contention, they still possess enough quality to disrupt KKR’s ambitions.
Head-to-head
Matchesn - 36
KKR won - 20
DC won - 15
No result - 1
KKR Probable XII: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Saurabh Dubey
DC Probable XII: KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel (c), Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar