NEW DELHI: Sunil Gavaskar took aim at the Delhi Capitals batting approach during their IPL 2026 clash with Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, questioning whether the Capitals had the right intent—especially in the powerplay. In commentary, he said the batters “don’t look to hit sixes,” pointing to a lack of aggression early in the innings as the key concern. He noted that the opening overs did not reflect a mindset built for big hitting, even though opportunities are normally most valuable at the start of a chase or set-up.
Delhi’s start underlined that criticism. Opening batters KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka combined for only two maximums in the first six overs, and both of those sixes came off Nissanka. Rahul, meanwhile, failed to clear the boundary in his spell at the crease, as Delhi managed 55 runs in the powerplay—an output Gavaskar implied could have been more decisive if the team’s plans were more aggressive. The pressure of the early overs quickly turned into a wicket moment, with Rahul getting out after making 23 runs from 14 balls. His dismissal arrived on the final delivery of the fifth over when Kartik Tyagi struck, getting Rahul caught at mid-on by Cameron Green.
Earlier in the evening, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bowl against Delhi Capitals at the venue in New Delhi. KKR kept faith with the same XI from their most recent match, while Delhi made two changes—bringing in Mukesh Kumar and Vipraj Nigam in place of T Natarajan and Karun Nair. Those alterations set the tone for a contest where both teams were looking to shape momentum rather than simply maintain it.
Delhi Capitals’ season context also explains the urgency around their performance. They began IPL 2026 strongly but have since slipped, losing four of their last five matches. With the playoff chase tightening, they entered the game in a must-win position and were placed seventh in the points table, having won four of their 10 matches so far. Kolkata Knight Riders, although coming into the fixture on the back of three consecutive wins, were not comfortable in the standings either. They sat eighth on the table and were determined to keep their positive run going, using another result to stabilise their campaign and move up the rankings.
