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- DC vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2026: Finn Allen smashes maiden IPL hundred to power KKR to dominant win over DC
DC vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2026: Finn Allen smashes maiden IPL hundred to power KKR to dominant win over DC
After opting to bowl, KKR recovered strongly despite conceding 55 runs in the powerplay. Delhi openers Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul started fluently, with Nissanka taking the aggressive route early. However, Kolkata’s bowling attack responded brilliantly once the field spread out.
The spin trio of Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy completely strangled Delhi through the middle overs. Narine removed Sameer Rizvi, while Roy dismissed both Nissanka and Tristan Stubbs in the same over to trigger another collapse. Chakaravarthy, despite going wicketless, bowled a highly economical spell that built relentless pressure.
KKR’s pacers complemented the spinners superbly. Kartik Tyagi impressed with 2/25, while Cameron Green and Vaibhav Arora chipped in with timely wickets. Delhi were eventually restricted to 142/8, with only Nissanka’s 50 and Ashutosh Sharma’s fighting 39 providing resistance.
The chase began with drama as KKR lost captain Ajinkya Rahane to a bizarre run-out after the ball deflected off Mitchell Starc’s fingertips onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Angkrish Raghuvanshi also fell in unlucky fashion after the ball brushed his glove and rolled back onto the stumps.
But from there, impact substitute Finn Allen took complete control. The explosive opener unleashed a brutal assault on the DC attack, smashing 10 sixes and five boundaries in a sensational unbeaten 47-ball century, his maiden IPL hundred. Green played the supporting role perfectly as KKR chased down the target in just 14.2 overs to register their fourth consecutive victory and climb back into playoff contention.
Sunil Narine to KL Rahul, FOUR! Put away! Dragged back again from Narine, around off. KL Rahul pulls it off the inside half of the bat but hits it wide of long on. Cameron Green runs to his right and dives but fails to stop the boundary.
Sunil Narine to Pathum Nissanka, Short and around leg, Pathum Nissanka clips it through square leg for one.
Sunil Narine to Pathum Nissanka, Pushed through quicker, shortish and on off, skids through a bit, Pathum Nissanka just about keeps it out.
Sunil Narine to Pathum Nissanka, FOUR! Gets it through! Flighted, full and just outside off, Pathum Nissanka leans on and drives it nicely wide of mid off. The fielder runs to his left but dives over the ball and lets it through for a boundary.
Sunil Narine to KL Rahul, Floated, short and on off, turns in a bit, KL Rahul gets a bit hurried and nudges it to the leg side for a single.
Surprise, surprise! Just one over for Arora, and he is replaced by the one and only Sunil Narine.
- Pathum Nissanka 20 (11)
- KL Rahul 8 (7)
Anukul Roy to Pathum Nissanka, SIX! Short and punished! Roy bowls this a bit too short this time, on middle. Pathum Nissanka has all the time in the world to move back and heaves it over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.
Anukul Roy to Pathum Nissanka, Looped up, full and on middle, Pathum Nissanka uses his feet, takes it on the full but drills it down the pitch, Anukul Roy gets low on his follow-through to make a half stop.
Anukul Roy to Pathum Nissanka, Fires in a yorker, on middle and leg, Pathum Nissanka digs it out to the off side.
Anukul Roy to KL Rahul, Dragged back, on middle, KL Rahul punches it wide of extra cover for a single.
Anukul Roy to KL Rahul, FOUR! Up and over! Flighted, full and on middle and leg, KL Rahul stays outside the leg stump, opens up his front leg and lofts it over mid on for a boundary on the bounce.
Anukul Roy to KL Rahul, Floated, full and on middle, KL Rahul has a swipe across the line but gets it from the toe-end towards mid on.
- KL Rahul 3 (4)
- Pathum Nissanka 14 (8)
Vaibhav Arora to KL Rahul, Hits the deck, on the sixth stump line, KL Rahul steers it towards point for one.
Vaibhav Arora to Pathum Nissanka, Short of a length and on middle, jags back into the body of the batter, Pathum Nissanka looks to clip it away but gets an inside edge onto his thigh pad as the ball rolls to short fine leg. They cross.
Vaibhav Arora to Pathum Nissanka, SIX! BANG! Pathum Nissanka goes big now. Fuller delivery, angling into the leg stump. Nissanka picks it up off his pads and deposits it over the deep backward square leg fence for a biggie. That's the first six of the game.
Vaibhav Arora to KL Rahul, Back of a length and on middle, KL Rahul dabs it in front of point for a run.
Vaibhav Arora to Pathum Nissanka, Much fuller and on middle, Pathum Nissanka drills it with a straight bat wide of mid on, where Kartik Tyagi moves to his left quickly and makes a diving stop. A single taken.
Vaibhav Arora to Pathum Nissanka, Vaibhav Arora begins with a hard-length delivery, on off, nips back in a bit. Pathum Nissanka looks to guide it away from his body and gets an inside edge onto his pads. That could have easily gone back onto the stumps.
A quiet start for the Capitals. Roy kept it tight. Pace from the other end. Vaibhav Arora to share the new ball. Will he get the swing? Let's see.
- Pathum Nissanka 6 (4)
- KL Rahul 1 (2)
Anukul Roy to Pathum Nissanka, Drops it short and on middle and leg, Pathum Nissanka pats it to the right of mid on for another run. 7 runs off the first over then!
Anukul Roy to KL Rahul, Flighted, full and on middle, KL Rahul backs away and drills it to sweeper cover for a run.
Anukul Roy to KL Rahul, A low full toss, sliding into the pads, KL Rahul clips it away straight to mid-wicket. Roy gets away with one there.
Anukul Roy to Pathum Nissanka, Tossed up, full and on off, Pathum Nissanka drives it down to long off for a single.
Anukul Roy to Pathum Nissanka, FOUR! DC are underway in style! A gentle loosener from Roy as he bowls a half-tracker, on middle and leg. Pathum Nissanka rocks back quickly and pulls it over mid-wicket for the first boundary of the game. It almost yorks the boundary ropes and bounces over.
Anukul Roy to Pathum Nissanka, Anukul Roy starts with a floater, short and on off, Pathum Nissanka stays back and punches it to cover-point.
It's time to rock and roll in Delhi. Out walk the two umpires - Nitin Menon and Rohan Pandit. Rahane leads his men out as the Knight Riders take their respective fielding spots. Pathum Nissanka walks out to the crease with KL Rahul to open for the Capitals. And it will be spin to start for KKR. Here's Anukul Roy, all set to bowl to Nissanka. Here we go...
Impact Players for DC - Kuldeep Yadav, Karun Nair, Abishek Porel, T Natarajan, David Miller.
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI) - KL Rahul (WK), Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel (C), Ashutosh Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc, Vipraj Nigam (In place of Karun Nair), Mukesh Kumar (In place of T Natarajan).
Impact Players for KKR - Finn Allen, Ramandeep Singh, Tejasvi Singh, Navdeep Saini, Tim Seifert.
Kolkata Knight Riders (Unchanged Playing XI) - Ajinkya Rahane (C), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Need to be focused from the first ball - The captain of Delhi Capitals, Axar Patel, says that they don't mind batting first as the toss is something that is not in their hands, but they have to be focused from ball one. Informs that they have made a couple of changes with Mukesh Kumar coming in for T Natarajan and Vipraj Nigam replacing Karun Nair. Axar mentions that it does not spin much here in Delhi, but there is a bit of slowness which they have to get used to. The pacers can also use the slower balls into the wicket effectively. Ends by saying that nowadays the length of the boundaries doesn't matter, and they will have to play their best cricket.
All about starting fresh - The captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, Ajinkya Rahane, says the decision is made with the last three games in mind. He points out that the scores in those games have been quite varied, from 260-plus totals to a low-scoring contest against RCB. He adds that seeing how the wicket plays first makes it easier to bat later, sharing that the focus for his side is simply playing good cricket for all 40 overs. On the team combination, Rahane says that they are going unchanged. On the surface, he admits it is difficult to read. He adds that the key is to start well, assess the conditions early and react to situations accordingly. On the extended gaps between games, Rahane says it has worked out well for the side. He shares that the mood within the group during that first big break was really important. He stresses that this game is all about starting fresh and doing well.
Delhi sit seventh but have already played an extra match compared to most teams around them. Realistically, they may need to win all four remaining fixtures to reach 16 points and stay in contention.
KKR are in a similarly dangerous position despite their recent revival. Three straight wins have lifted confidence, but sitting eighth means they have almost no room for mistakes.
The contrast in momentum is striking. KKR arrive full of belief after turning their season around, while Delhi continue searching for answers amid poor home form and inconsistent performances.
With both teams fighting to stay alive, the stakes at the Arun Jaitley Stadium could hardly be bigger.
Rahane has struggled against both bowlers in recent meetings, making this a matchup Delhi will look to exploit early. Against Kuldeep, the KKR captain has scored at a strike-rate of just 70.37 while also being dismissed twice. His numbers against Axar Patel are slightly better, but the left-arm spinner has also removed him twice while keeping the scoring rate under control.
What makes the contest even more interesting is Axar’s willingness to bowl inside the Powerplay this season. The DC captain has repeatedly trusted himself with the new ball, particularly against right-hand batters, and Rahane could once again find himself under pressure during the opening overs.
With KKR relying heavily on stronger starts after an inconsistent top-order season, Rahane’s ability to survive the early spin challenge may have a huge influence on the outcome of this must-win encounter.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium was expected to suit DC’s aggressive batting lineup, yet it has produced wildly contrasting surfaces that have hurt the team more than helped it. From batting belters to seam-friendly tracks and spin-assisting pitches, Delhi have failed to adapt consistently.
The uncertainty has also affected team selection and balance. Frequent batting collapses have forced tactical changes, including Impact Sub decisions that weakened the bowling attack.
Now, with another crucial home fixture approaching, the pressure has intensified further. KKR already hold a psychological edge after winning the last three meetings between the sides since 2024.
For Delhi, this match feels less like another league game and more like a survival test.
The mystery spinner has once again become KKR’s most influential bowler, choking opposition batters in the middle overs and creating pressure that the rest of the attack has capitalised on. His form has coincided perfectly with KKR’s three-match winning streak.
Sunil Narine has also quietly enjoyed another excellent season with the best economy rate among spinners who have bowled at least 10 overs. Together, the experienced spin duo has restored balance to KKR’s bowling attack.
Now facing a Delhi batting lineup that has repeatedly struggled against spin at home, KKR’s slow bowlers could once again play the decisive role in a high-pressure clash.
Among all spinners who have bowled at least 10 overs this season, Kuldeep has the worst economy rate at 10.36. Even more concerning for Delhi is the fact that he has already conceded 24 sixes, the highest by any bowler in the tournament.
His struggles have put additional pressure on Axar Patel and the overseas pace attack to control games. For a side already battling inconsistency with the bat, the lack of control from their premier spinner has become a major issue.
Delhi desperately need Kuldeep to rediscover form quickly, especially against a KKR lineup featuring dangerous spin-hitters like Rinku Singh and Finn Allen.
First came the astonishing game where DC piled up 264 against Punjab Kings, only to watch the target get chased down. In the very next home fixture, the batting collapsed completely as Delhi were bowled out for just 75 on a pitch assisting seamers.
Then came another twist. On a spin-friendly track, DC once again struggled badly at the top and managed only 155. The constantly changing conditions have left the side confused, forcing regular changes in combinations and weakening the bowling balance through Impact Sub adjustments.
With only four matches left, Delhi now face the difficult task of winning every remaining game to realistically stay alive in the playoff race.
While they still sit eighth on the table, KKR know momentum can quickly change a season in the IPL. DJ Bravo revealed that the team is treating every game like a knockout clash, and recent performances have backed that mindset.
Varun Chakaravarthy’s return to form has transformed their bowling attack. The mystery spinner has controlled games in the middle overs, while Rinku Singh remains their most dependable batter in pressure situations.
Against a Delhi side struggling for confidence at home, KKR will see this fixture as a massive opportunity to continue their resurgence and tighten the playoff race further.
The inconsistency in conditions has only added to their troubles. One game saw them smash 264 and still lose, while another ended with them being bowled out for just 75 on a seam-friendly pitch. A spin-heavy surface in their previous outing vs CSK brought more batting problems and forced another reshuffle in combinations.
KL Rahul has been among the few reliable performers, while Axar Patel has carried much of the bowling burden. Against a resurgent KKR side arriving on a three-match winning streak, Delhi simply cannot afford another slip-up.
Individually, however, there have been standout performers on both sides. KL Rahul has been Delhi’s batting pillar with 613 runs, while Kuldeep Yadav has led the bowling attack with 10 wickets. For KKR, young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi impressed with 327 runs, and Vaibhav Arora emerged as their top wicket-taker with 15 scalps.
With both teams searching for consistency, another intense DC vs KKR clash could be on the cards.
Delhi began brightly through Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul, but KKR’s spin trio of Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy gradually tightened the screws. Nissanka top-scored with a 29-ball 50, while Ashutosh Sharma’s late cameo helped DC crawl to 142/8.
In reply, Delhi found brief hope after two unusual dismissals, with Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi both falling in unfortunate fashion. However, Allen completely shifted momentum with fearless hitting. The Kiwi smashed an unbeaten 100 off just 47 balls, hammering 10 sixes and five boundaries as KKR chased down the target in only 14.2 overs.
The victory marked KKR’s fourth straight win and significantly boosted their playoff hopes, while Delhi suffered their seventh defeat in 11 games, leaving their campaign on the brink.
