KKR vs DC – IPL 2026 Match Report | Statz
Delhi Capitals won by 40 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 70th match of 74 in the Indian Premier League 2026 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Lokesh Rahul set up the win with a blistering 60 off 30 at the top of the order, before Kuldeep Yadav (3/29) and Lungi Ngidi (3/27) dismantled KKR in the chase.
First Innings – Delhi Capitals 203/5 (20 overs)
Lokesh Rahul was devastating from ball one. He hit five fours and four sixes in a 30-ball 60 at a strike rate of 200, putting KKR’s bowling under immediate pressure. He shared an opening stand of 40 with Abishek Porel (22 off 18) before Porel fell at 40/1 in the 5th over.
Sahil Parakh contributed 24 off 17 in a second-wicket partnership of 47 before being caught at 87/2 in the 10th over. Rahul continued his assault before eventually falling at 125/3 in the 13th over, caught off Varun Chakaravarthy.
Axar Patel kept the momentum going with a composed 39 off 25 (three fours, two sixes, SR 156), adding 41 with David Miller (28 off 19, three sixes). Ashutosh Sharma finished unbeaten on 18 off 11 to push DC to a commanding 203/5.
Saurabh Dubey was KKR’s best with the ball – 2/28 from 4 overs at an economy of 7.00. But Kartik Tyagi went for 55 off his 4 overs at 13.75, costing KKR dear in the middle overs.
Second Innings – Kolkata Knight Riders 163/10 (18.4 overs)
Ajinkya Rahane was the only KKR batter to truly threaten. He struck 63 off 39 (four fours, four sixes, SR 162), initially building a promising stand with Finn Allen (20 off 13). But Allen was bowled by Mitchell Starc at 43/1 in the 5th over, and once Manish Pandey (25 off 16) fell at 87/2 in the 9th over, wickets tumbled.
Cameron Green made just 2 off 3 at 96/3, and when Rahane was finally caught at 128/5 in the 14th over off Kuldeep Yadav, KKR collapsed from 128/5 to 155/9. Rinku Singh went for a duck (128/6, over 13.3), Tejasvi Dahiya was bowled for 1 (129/7, over 14.1), and Rovman Powell battled to 29 off 21 before being run out at 154/8.
Kuldeep Yadav was brilliant – 3/29 from 4 overs at 7.25, including the crucial Rahane and Rinku wickets. Ngidi matched him with 3/27 from 3.4 overs (economy 7.36), cleaning up the tail. Starc (2/26) and Axar Patel (1/38) completed the destruction.
Statz MVP – Lokesh Rahul (90)
Lokesh Rahul earned a Statz rating of 90 for his match-defining 60 off 30. His impact, which calculates impact based on match context, reflected how his innings set up a total that was always going to be too much for KKR. The official Player of the Match went to Kuldeep Yadav – a case where the bowler’s three wickets got the nod over the batter’s explosive platform. Statz saw Rahul’s batting contribution as the foundation of the entire result.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Lokesh Rahul (DC) – 89.95 – 60 off 30 balls (SR 200, 5 fours, 4 sixes). Set the tone for DC’s commanding total.
- Kuldeep Yadav (DC) – 87.48 – 3/29 from 4 overs (economy 7.25). Broke the back of the chase with key wickets.
- Saurabh Dubey (KKR) – 82.16 – 2/28 from 4 overs bowling plus 4 not out. KKR’s most economical seamer.
- Ajinkya Rahane (KKR) – 79.75 – 63 off 39 (SR 162). Fought hard but ran out of partners.
- Axar Patel (DC) – 74.52 – 39 off 25 with the bat and 1/38 with the ball. Strong all-round contribution.
Turning Point
The match shifted when Rinku Singh was caught for 0 off Kuldeep Yadav at 128/6 in over 13.3, immediately after Rahane had fallen at 128/5 in the previous ball. Two wickets in two deliveries broke KKR completely – they went from 128/4 with Rahane in full flow to 128/6, and never recovered. Needing 76 from 40 balls with Rinku was still possible. Without him, it was done.
Match Context
This was the 70th match of 74 in the IPL 2026 regular season. Delhi Capitals rise to 6th (W7 L7, 14 pts, NRR -0.651) and keep their slim playoff hopes alive heading into the final round of fixtures. Kolkata Knight Riders drop to 7th (W6 L7, 13 pts, NRR -0.147) and are now all but eliminated. KKR have lost their H2H advantage over DC this season, with DC winning the return leg after KKR took the first meeting by 8 wickets.
