Delhi Capitals ended their IPL 2026 campaign on a high with a commanding 40-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Sunday, as spinner Kuldeep Yadav delivered a match-winning performance and reflected honestly on his inconsistent season. The left-arm wrist spinner was named Player of the Match after returning figures of 3/29, helping Delhi successfully defend a challenging total of 203. Despite the impressive display, Kuldeep admitted after the game that he had expected much more from himself during the season and was disappointed that Delhi failed to secure a place in the playoffs.

Kuldeep said he had entered the contest with a clear bowling strategy after observing that the pitch was slightly slow and assisting variation in pace. He explained that he focused on using scrambled seam deliveries and changing speeds to deceive the batters, particularly highlighting the dismissal of Rinku Singh as a perfect example of his execution. According to the spinner, slowing the delivery through the air forced the batter into a mistimed shot, giving Delhi a breakthrough at a crucial stage of the chase. Kuldeep’s spell also included the prized wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and Cameron Green.

The spinner also revealed that he had recently returned to training with his childhood coach after struggling for rhythm in previous matches. Kuldeep admitted that he had unknowingly become too open-chested in his action and was not fully using his body during delivery, which reduced the amount of spin and dip he generated. He said modern T20 batters become extremely dangerous when bowlers simply push the ball through without strong revolutions. After working on those technical aspects and focusing on spinning the ball harder, Kuldeep said he regained confidence and rhythm, which was clearly visible during his performance against Kolkata.

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Delhi Capitals had earlier posted 203/5 after being invited to bat first, thanks to a fluent 60 from KL Rahul and useful contributions from captain Axar Patel, David Miller, and Ashutosh Sharma. Rahul anchored the innings with aggressive strokeplay while Axar accelerated through the middle overs before Miller and Ashutosh produced a late flourish that pushed Delhi past the 200-run mark. Kolkata’s bowlers managed to pick up wickets at regular intervals but failed to control the scoring during the final overs of the innings.

In response, Kolkata Knight Riders began positively with Rahane and Finn Allen putting together a brisk opening partnership. Rahane continued to attack during the powerplay alongside Manish Pandey, briefly keeping Kolkata in the chase. However, the match turned decisively in Delhi’s favor once Kuldeep struck twice in quick succession, dismissing Rahane and Rinku Singh. Axar Patel added further pressure with another key breakthrough before pace bowlers Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi cleaned up the lower order to bowl KKR out for 163 in 18.4 overs.

Kuldeep narrowly missed out on a hat-trick after a catch was dropped behind the stumps, but the spinner insisted he was satisfied with his overall performance and more focused on contributing to the team’s victory. Delhi Capitals eventually finished sixth on the IPL 2026 points table with seven wins from the season, while Kolkata Knight Riders ended one place below them in seventh with six victories. Although neither side managed to qualify for the playoffs, Delhi’s convincing win ensured they concluded their campaign with renewed confidence and a positive final impression.

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