IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders’ strongest predicted XI against Delhi Capitals

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will host the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, May 24. This is the final league game in the IPL this season.

How important is this clash going to be for the two teams? The results of the matches between Lucknow Super Giants versus Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians versus Rajasthan Royals are going to decide the significance of the KKR versus DC match.

If the Royal defeat the Mumbai Indians on Sunday afternoon, KKR vs DC will be a mere formality. If Punjab Kings win and the Royals lose, DC will be eliminated, and KKR will have to win on Sunday by a huge margin to move into the top four.

However, if both Punjab and the Royals lose, the Capitals could make it to the playoffs with a huge win over KKR. On the other hand, the three-time champions will reach the playoffs if they can beat the Capitals. The margin of defeat won’t be important.

Here is KKR’s predicted XI vs DC in Match 70 of IPL 2026:

Top-order: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Finn Allen (Impact), Manish Pandey

Ajinkya Rahane has had a forgettable campaign with the bat. However, his performance as captain has been decent. Finn Allen had a quiet start to the season and eventually lost his place in the side. However, he has been on a roll since his comeback five games ago. In the last game against the Mumbai Indians, Manish Pandey got his first chance in the season to bat. On a sluggish track, he played a calm and composed knock of 45 runs off 33 balls, helping KKR get the much-needed win.

Middle-order: Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya (WK), Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy

Cameron Green was dismissed cheaply with the bat but had a good outing with the ball, picking up the wickets of Ryan Rickelton and Naman Dhir in the same over. KKR would want him to fire with the bat as well on Sunday. Rovman Powell used his experience and mixed caution with aggression in the last game, scoring an important 40 runs off 30 balls. He has been in good form so far. Rinku Singh wasn’t in great nick at the start of the season, but as the league progressed, he got better and now, he is back at his best. The southpaw is averaging 73.75 and has a strike rate of 149.75.

Tejasvi Dahiya had to come in abruptly in the last game as a concussion substitute for Angkrish Raghuvanshi. He couldn’t make much of an impact, but it wasn’t easy for him to come out on such short notice on a tricky surface and bat at his best. He was dismissed for 11 off 12 balls. Sunil Narine hasn’t been needed much with the bat, but with the ball, he has been the epitome of consistency. In 12 matches, he has picked up 14 wickets at an economy rate of 6.40. Anukul Roy has been a utility cricketer for KKR this season. He has taken crucial wickets and also chipped in with handy runs down the order.

Bowlers: Varun Chakaravarthy, Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi

Varun Chakaravarthy is another KKR player who took time to hit his straps. However, he returned to form, midway through the tournament, and his combination with Narine has put opposition batters under immense pressure. Saurabh Dubey has had an impressive start to his IPL career. In the last game, he dismissed Indian stalwarts Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma. Kartik Tyagi is the leading wicket-taker for KKR this season. In 13 matches, he has taken 18 wickets at an average of 24.61 and an economy rate of 9.43.

KKR’s predicted playing XI for match 70, IPL 2026

Ajinkya Rahane (C), Cameron Green, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya (WK), Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi.

Impact Player: Finn Allen