Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals will both be aiming for victory in the season’s final league fixture of the IPL, with the match scheduled for Sunday in Kolkata. KKR sit in sixth place and DC in eighth, yet both are still mathematically in the hunt for the last spot in the playoffs. Still, the clash could quickly become irrelevant depending on what happens elsewhere by the time the game gets underway.
Punjab Kings, currently holding the advantage in the race for that final playoff berth, will face the already eliminated Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday. If PBKS win that game, they would reach 15 points and effectively put an end to Delhi’s chances, since DC can only finish with a maximum of 14 points.
KKR, who are on 13 points, can move up to 15 with a win over Delhi. However, Punjab’s net run-rate is ahead by a considerable margin, meaning KKR’s path would still be extremely difficult even if they manage to win Sunday.
To put the required scenario into context, even in a best-case outcome where PBKS beat LSG by just one run, KKR would then need to defeat DC by at least 52 runs to catch them on NRR.
Only a win for Lucknow would keep the Eden Gardens contest meaningful heading into Sunday. Even then, KKR and DC would need Mumbai Indians to beat Rajasthan Royals in the afternoon game to keep permutations alive.
Rajasthan, currently on 14 points, could secure the final available playoff place by moving to 16. With so many outcomes depending on results beyond their own control, both sides are likely to prioritise finishing the campaign strongly rather than getting fully caught up in complicated qualification calculations.
Injuries disrupted KKR’s bowling rhythm
Kolkata’s campaign was badly affected early on by injuries and unavailability within their bowling group. Mustafizur Rahman, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Matheesha Pathirana all missed matches due to different issues, while marquee buy Cameron Green—returning from injury—was not able to bowl in the opening stages.
KKR have since shown a significant turnaround, winning six of their last seven matches to stay in the playoff conversation. KKR CEO Venky Mysore described the recovery as something unexpected, noting it felt like unfamiliar ground early on, before the team found momentum. “Massive credit to the team. Everybody stepped up, embraced each other and pushed forward. Fingers crossed for the last game of the season,” Mysore added.
Raghuvanshi and Varun face late fitness calls
One major absentee for the hosts is Angkrish Raghuvanshi, their leading run-getter, who has scored 422 runs this season including five half-centuries.
KKR are also expected to take a late decision on mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, depending on how results unfold before the match. Varun has struggled after suffering a hairline fracture in his left foot during KKR’s game against DC on May 8.
After missing the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he returned for the following two fixtures despite discomfort, and that situation was also brought to the attention of the BCCI.
DC have leaned heavily on Rahul
For Delhi Capitals, the season has been defined by missed opportunities. Their batting has relied largely on KL Rahul, who has accumulated 533 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate above 171, including one century and four fifties. More often than not, DC’s results have swung when Rahul has not managed to deliver a strong start.
The return of David Miller has brought some steadiness in the middle order. Miller struck 51 off 28 balls during DC’s unsuccessful chase of 211 against Punjab Kings.
Delhi’s bowling, though, has lacked the consistent edge needed to dominate matches. Their Indian pace unit has struggled, while captain Axar Patel and spinner Kuldeep Yadav have not been able to make the kind of impact expected. Axar has taken 10 wickets at an average of 32.30, while Kuldeep has managed seven wickets at 50.28.
Despite their uneven run, DC head into Sunday’s game on the back of two consecutive wins over Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals. With both teams having little to lose in terms of momentum, they are expected to play with full intent and go hard for a win in Kolkata.
