3-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ended their campaign on a disappointing note as they went down to Delhi Capitals (DC) by 40 runs and finished below DC in the table. In a game that turned out to be a dead rubber between the two teams following RR’s win in the afternoon, KKR, who had opted to bowl first when the other match was still going on, made some errors in the field and later with the bat and deserved to lose. Both teams bowed out of the tournament. We will try to give reasons for KKR’s loss to DC.
Inability to dismiss KL Rahul early hampers the progress of KKR
KKR won the toss and elected to bowl first, hoping for the big chase should RR lose in Mumbai. KL Rahul came out all guns blazing as KKR struggled to get rid of him quickly. Abishek Porel and Sahil Parakh gave him support for a while, but both were dismissed after getting a start. But KL was the main man and held the innings together to bat deep and lay the platform for the other batters coming in after him. KKR’s plans against Rahul did not work.
Rahul was at his best in this game with a ” nothing to lose attitude, as he had tapered off a little in the tournament. Rahul was just not hitting the boundaries, but was also hitting maximums as well. KKR did not have answers to dismiss him as he hit 5 fours and 4 sixes to his name in his stay at the crease. Rahul almost played till 13 overs and laid the platform for a 200+ total in Kolkata. Had Rahul not gotten those 60 runs in 30 balls, maybe DC might have struggled getting to 200.
KKR’s pace bowling stocks are weak to say the least, and they must find ways to address them next season. Yes, they have been hampered with injuries, but Saurabh Dubey bowled well and has been a find for them. But the others went for runs and showed inexperience out there. They will look to go back to the drawing board and come back stronger next season, and hope that the injuries don’t hamper them like they did this season.
Losing 7/35, including Ajinkya Rahane’s dismissal, sealed the fate of the match
KKR were asked to chase 204 for the win and end the campaign on a high. They did get off to a decent start with Ajinkya Rahane bringing out his best by scoring a stylish half-century. Finn Allen got a start and got out, and the same can be said of Manish Pandey. Cameron Green was dismissed for a low score. But Rahane looked untroubled and looked in control, and till he was there, KKR were on track to chase this despite the rate being over 10 an over required. Rahane completed his half-century and looked good to carry on.
The turning point of the match came when Rahane, batting on 63 off 39 balls, was holed out in the deep off Kuldeep Yadav. KKR had reached 128/3 when Rahane fell, and what followed was a massive collapse as wickets fell like nine pins. Rinku Singh came and went for a golden duck to Kuldeep. Tejasvi Dahiya, the keeper batter, did not last long, falling to Axar Patel. Rovman Powell tried to keep the fight going with Anukul Roy before Powell fell as well to a runout.
Anukul Roy soon departed, as it was a procession out there in the middle. Kartik Tyagi came and fell as well, and so did Varun Chakaravarthy, as 7 wickets were lost for 35 runs for the 40-run loss. These kinds of collapses at any level of cricket are unacceptable, and KKR needs to be mindful of them. They need to avoid these as much as possible and be more consistent next season. They showed fight this time around, but fighting alone does not win matches. More consistency is required from the Men in Purple.
Kartik Tyagi, conceding 55 runs in 4 overs, did not help KKR’s cause
Another key aspect that went against KKR was the bowling of Kartik Tyagi. Tyagi has been one of the finds of KKR’s bowling this season. But last night at Eden Gardens, he was taken to the cleaners and was ripped apart by the DC batters. His line and length were all over the place and he went on to register a half-century while bowling. For a bowler who has bowled and done well this season, this kind of performance really shook KKR’s confidence to the core. He is a talented bowler, but had a bad off-day.
Kartik’s line and length were off, and he was clobbered by KL Rahul initially and then by David Miller and Ashutosh Sharma in the back-end of the innings. Axar Patel also targeted him as he was not spared by any batter of DC. Kartik Tyagi has struggled with consistency in the past, and it came to the fore. He is skiddy and has raw pace, but on his bad day can go for runs. He needs to have maturity going forward and has remodeled his actions from before.
Kartik Tyagi needs to learn consistency, and the KKR think-tank must work with him more to make him a better bowler and a finished product. He needs to play more domestic cricket, and KKR will be hoping that he comes back as a better bowler next time. He was good throughout, but he wavered in his line and length a little bit and paid the price in the end. One hopes Kartik learns from this and becomes a better bowler in the coming days and weeks.
What Lies Ahead
So, KKR finishes in 7th place with 13 points, while DC finished in 6th place with 14 points. Both teams are out of the playoff race. We are all set for the playoffs of IPL 2026, as it happens in the coming week. First up, it’s RCB vs GT in Dharamsala in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday, 26th May, 2026. This will be followed by the Eliminator as SRH takes on RR in New Chandigarh on Wednesday, 2nd May, 2026. So, a lot to look forward to in the final week of IPL 2026.
Also Read: KKR vs DC: KL Rahul’s Sublime Half-Century Helps DC End Season On A High