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Delhi Capitals
Kolkata Knight Riders
Delhi Capitals will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the 51st match of IPL 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium. Both teams will enter this game after inconsistent campaigns, staying in the lower half of the table for most of the season.
DC sit 7th with 4 wins and 6 losses and a net run rate of -0.949. KKR stand 8th with 3 wins and 5 losses and a net run rate of -0.539.
DC will come into this match after a win over Rajasthan Royals, while KKR will carry momentum with 3 straight wins. Recent form will give KKR a slight edge in confidence. Head-to-head numbers will also support KKR, as they have won 3 of the last 5 meetings and the last 3 in a row. Chasing teams have had success in this fixture, winning 3 of those 5 games.
KL Rahul has been in strong form with 433 runs at an average of 54.12 and has consistently crossed the 25-run mark in most matches this season.
The betting tip is...
KL Rahul - Over 24.5 runs
62 %
38 %
Delhi CapitalsKolkata Knight RidersKL Rahul had led the batting with 445 runs at a strike rate of 180 and an average of 50+. Recently, Pathum Nissanka scored 62 off 33 while Rahul added 75 off 40 in a successful 225-run chase against RR. But DC lost to CSK after that and batted poorly.
Sameer Rizvi has 249 runs with two fifties, but has struggled with consistency. The presence of Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma adds depth, but the batting unit has lacked consistency overall.
The bowling unit has been decent with T Natarajan, Lungi Ngidi and Mukesh Kumar combining for 17 wickets. Ngidi returned vs CSK and has 8 wickets. Axar Patel has picked up 9 wickets with an economy of 8.53, while Kuldeep Yadav has taken 7 wickets at an average of 10. Mitchell Starc has taken 3 in 2 games, while Kyle Jamieson has picked up 2 wickets in 2 games.
Rahul, Starc and Kuldeep are the key players.
Predicted Lineup: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (c), David Miller, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Kyle Jamieson
KKR have built momentum with 3 straight wins, including a Super Over victory against LSG. Ajinkya Rahane opened with Finn Allen in the last match, and both batted cautiously against SRH.
Rinku Singh has scored 237 runs at a strike rate of 145.39 in 8 innings. Angkrish Raghuvanshi has stood out with 268 runs in 9 innings at a strike rate of 137.43, with both players scoring multiple fifties. Cameron Green has 199 runs, while captain Rahane has contributed 205 runs with a fifty, highlighting some inconsistency in the batting unit.
Vaibhav Arora has taken 10 wickets, and Kartik Tyagi has picked up 11 wickets, though both have been expensive. Varun Chakaravarthy has claimed 10 wickets in 7 matches at an economy of around 8. Sunil Narine has taken 9 wickets and been the most economical bowler.
Raghuvanshi, Chakaravarthy and Arora are the key players.
Predicted Lineup: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen/Tim Seifert, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kartik Tyagi
KKR will come into this match with better momentum after 3 straight wins, but their batting has not been consistent. Their top order has not produced strong starts regularly, which can put pressure on the middle order.
DC will rely heavily on KL Rahul, who has been their most consistent batter this season. He has scored 433 runs at a strike rate of 185.83 and has looked in control against most bowling attacks.
On this pitch, a solid start will be important, and Rahul has shown the ability to anchor and accelerate. DC will have a good chance if Rahul delivers again, but KKRβs recent form will keep them competitive.
