When the Kolkata Knight Riders play the Delhi Capitals in the season’s last IPL 2026 league game in Kolkata on Sunday, they will be looking for nothing less than a victory.
As of right now, sixth-place KKR are still mathematically in the running for the final playoff spot, but by the time Sunday’s match starts, it might already be a dead rubber.
Delhi’s dreams were dashed after Punjab Kings defeated the already-eliminated Lucknow Super Giants by 7 wickets on Saturday, reaching 15 points. Delhi can only earn a maximum of 14 points. With a victory over DC, KKR, who currently have 13 points, may potentially reach 15, but Punjab has a sizable net run-rate advantage.
Even yet, in order for KKR to remain in the playoffs, the Mumbai Indians must defeat the Rajasthan Royals in the afternoon match. If they defeat the Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan, who now have 14 points, would advance to 16 points and secure the final playoff spot.
Both teams will probably concentrate more on finishing the season strong rather to being engrossed in qualification scenarios because there are so many uncontrollable possibilities.
Early on in the season, KKR’s bowling unit’s unavailability and injuries seriously hampered their campaign. Due to a variety of problems, Mustafizur Rahman, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, and Matheesha Pathirana were unable to play, and Cameron Green, the star signing, was unable to bowl in the early going after recovering from an injury.
However, KKR pulled off an incredible comeback, winning six of their previous seven games to stay alive.
The top run scorer on the home team will be absent. This season, Angkrish Raghuvanshi has scored 422 runs, including five fifties. On May 20, as the squad defeated the Mumbai Indians, he fractured his left finger.
Depending on how things play out prior to the game, KKR is also anticipated to make a last-minute decision about mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy.
After sustaining a little fracture to his left foot during their game against DC on May 8, Varun has struggled. Despite his pain, he returned for the next two games after missing the encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru; the BCCI had also been made aware of this.
The Delhi Capitals have mostly lost out on opportunities this season. KL Rahul, who has amassed 533 runs at a strike rate of over 171 in 13 innings, including a century and four fifties, has been a key component of their batting. In most cases, DC has struggled when Rahul hasn’t gotten off to a good start.
David Miller’s return has provided some steadiness in the middle order; during DC’s futile chase of 211 against Punjab Kings, the South African smashed a 28-ball 51.
But Delhi’s bowling hasn’t been reliable. While captain Axar Patel and fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav have failed to create an impression, DC’s Indian pace attack has struggled. While Kuldeep has only taken seven wickets at an average of 50.28, Axar has taken ten at an average of 32.30.
DC enter the game fresh off two straight victories over Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, despite their patchy season. Both teams are expected to give it their all in order to win because they have little to lose.
KKR vs DC Head-to-Head:
Kolkata Knight Riders have enjoyed the upper hand against Delhi Capitals, winning 20 of the 36 matches played between the two teams, while Delhi have emerged victorious 15 times, with one game ending in no result.
KKR vs DC Pitch Report:
With a quick outfield that makes runs easy, the pitch at Eden Gardens in Kolkata is widely regarded as being great for batting. Batters can dominate on a flat surface with genuine bounce. Although early movement is possible for fast bowlers, it frequently slows down, which helps spinners. Chasing is quite beneficial when borders are small and moisture is an issue. At this venue, the average first-inning score is 176 runs.
KKR vs DC Weather Report:
Although the temperature is predicted to be in the mid-30s Celsius, Kolkata will feel much hotter due to the 68% humidity.
KKR vs DC Probable XIs:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Tejasvi Dahiya (wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi
Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Abishek Porel, Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Madhav Tiwari, Mukesh Kumar, Auqib Nabi Dar, Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi
FAQs:
When is the IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals scheduled?
The IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, 2026.
What time does the IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals scheduled to start?
The IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals will start at 7:30 PM IST.
Where is the IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals scheduled to take place?
The IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals is scheduled to be played at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Which TV channel will broadcast the IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals?
The IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals will be broadcast on Star Sports Network.
Where can one catch the live streaming of the IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals?
The live streaming of the IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals will be available on JioHotstar.
