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Delhi Capitals' Kuldeep Yadav and teammates observe (ANI Photo)
Delhi Capitals signed disconnected their IPL 2026 run with a commanding 40-run triumph implicit Kolkata Knight Riders successful a dead-rubber clash, arsenic KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav starred connected Sunday. With Rajasthan Royals defeating Mumbai Indians earlier successful the time to seal the last playoff berth, some KKR and Punjab Kings were officially eliminated earlier the lucifer began.
Delhi Capitals had already been knocked retired aft PBKS’ triumph implicit Lucknow Super Giants connected Saturday, leaving lone pridefulness and last standings to play for astatine Eden Gardens. Batting archetypal aft KKR skipper
Ajinkya Rahane
opted to bowl, Delhi Capitals piled up an imposing 203 for 5, acknowledgment mostly to Rahul’s explosive half-century astatine the top. The DC opener looked successful implicit power from the beginning, attacking some gait and rotation with ease.
Rahul hammered 5 fours and 4 sixes during his 30-ball 60, registering his sixth 50 of the season. He peculiarly targeted
Sunil Narine
, dancing down the way repeatedly to wide the ropes. In 1 over, Rahul launched Narine for a towering six implicit long-on earlier pursuing it up with different bound implicit the spinner’s head. Rahul past shifted gears further against Kartik Tyagi, smashing a bound and a consecutive six successful an implicit worthy 20 runs to contention to a 25-ball half-century.
At that stage, Delhi looked acceptable for a full good beyond 220. However, KKR managed to regain immoderate power done Anukul Roy, who dismissed Rahul against the tally of play. Sahil Parakh besides chipped successful with 24 earlier Axar Patel added 39, portion Varun Chakravarthy returned with 1 for 35 contempt continuing to play with a hairline fracture successful his near toe. KKR’s pursuit began positively, with Rahane starring the complaint successful what could perchance person been his last quality for the franchise.
The seasoned batter produced 1 of his champion innings of the season, smashing 63 disconnected conscionable 39 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes. Rahane attacked aggressively, taking connected Auqib Nabi with back-to-back sixes earlier repeating the aforesaid against Axar Patel to bring up a accelerated 31-ball fifty. But conscionable erstwhile KKR appeared to beryllium gathering momentum, Kuldeep Yadav wholly turned the game. Returning to the playing XI aft being near retired and aft going wicketless successful his erstwhile 3 matches, the left-arm wrist-spinner tormented his erstwhile broadside with a superb spell of 3 for 29. Kuldeep archetypal removed Cameron Green cheaply earlier producing the decisive infinitesimal of the match. Sensing Rahane moving across, helium bowled a tossed-up transportation extracurricular limb stump that dipped sharply. Rahane attempted to loft it consecutive but lone managed to portion it to David Miller. On the precise adjacent ball, Kuldeep dismissed Rinku Singh for a duck, putting KKR successful implicit trouble. He astir completed a hat-trick arsenic good aft Tejasvi Dahiya edged the pursuing delivery, but Abhishek Porel dropped the accidental down the stumps. From there, KKR collapsed rapidly and were bowled retired for 163 successful 18.4 overs, slumping to their seventh decision of the season.
Mitchell Starc
besides impressed against his erstwhile franchise with figures of 2 for 26, portion Lungi Ngidi cleaned up the process with 3 for 27. The effect helped Delhi Capitals decorativeness sixth connected the points array with 7 wins and 7 losses, moving supra KKR, who ended seventh aft different disappointing run nether Rahane’s leadership.
