Despite their heavy defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders, former India cricketer Piyush Chawla feels that Delhi Capitals still have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs. DC’s IPL 2026 playoffs hopes suffered a massive blow on Friday, as they crashed to an eight-wicket defeat against KKR. DC are now eighth in the standings with 8 points in 11 games (4 wins, 7 defeats). Their hopes for qualification are no longer in their hands. Also, their poor net run rate puts them in a tight position. Multiple teams are still in contention, and for DC, it is now a survival battle with no room for error.
Speaking on JioHotstar, former Chawla feels that DC still have ‘something left to play for’ and urged them to give their best.
“Delhi Capitals still have a mathematical chance. So, there is definitely something left to play for. At this stage, it’s important for the team to stay together, play with freedom, and focus on building momentum rather than worrying about other results,” he said.
“Instead of looking for faults or blaming each other, they need to back themselves, play good cricket, and take pride in the remaining games. A couple of wins can quickly change the atmosphere around the side.”
Meanwhile, South African legend Mark Boucher feels that KL Rahul’s (23) dismissal against KKR was the turning point in the match.
“Ideally, you want him batting beyond the Powerplay so he can control the tempo through the middle overs. This is now the second time he has fallen around that phase while trying to take the game on,” he said.
“The aggressive role can be taken up by others around him, but Rahul’s value lies in going deep into the innings and managing momentum. From a team perspective, his wicket carries huge importance, and they would want him to place even greater value on it going forward,” he added.
Chasing a target of 143 runs, KKR eased to 147/2 in 14.2 overs, courtesy of Finn Allen’s unbeaten 47-ball 100*. The KKR opener was striking at 212.77 and also hammered five fours and 10 sixes.
Speaking after the match, Allen said, “I just tried to knuckle down early. It was still a little bit challenging at the start, Axar bowled really well and restricted us. So like I said, just try to get in strong positions and bat deep.”
