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Even after a humiliating loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, Delhi Capitals are still mathematically in the hunt for a playoff spot in the Indian Premier League 2026 season.
Delhi Capitals endured a crushing eight-wicket loss against Kolkata Knight Riders in their 11th match of the Indian Premier League 2026 season on Friday (May 8). Playing at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, DC struggled with the bat and posted only 142/8 in 20 overs after KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane elected to bowl first after winning the toss. Defending a modest target of 143, Delhi made an encouraging start by removing Rahane for 13 off nine deliveries and Angkrish Raghuvanshi for just one run within the opening four overs. However, KKR comfortably chased down the target to hand the hosts another disappointing defeat in front of their home crowd.
The result marked DC’s seventh loss of the IPL 2026 campaign and dealt a major blow to their playoff hopes, leaving them with very little room for error in the remainder of the tournament.
Delhi Capitals currently have eight points from 11 matches. Even if they win all three of their remaining league games, the maximum they can reach is 14 points. Although that tally does not assure qualification for the playoffs, it would still keep them mathematically alive in the race for a top-four finish.
However, another defeat from their remaining fixtures would officially eliminate them from playoff contention.
DC will next take on Punjab Kings on Monday (May 11) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. Their second-last league fixture will be against Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on May 17. The Axar Patel-led side will then conclude their league-stage campaign with another clash against KKR on May 24 at Eden Gardens.