• Source:JND

DC vs KKR IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders have maintained their brilliant comeback after beating Delhi Capitals and have surpassed them in the points table and have kept their playoff hopes alive. Post struggling to perform in the first half of this season, the Kolkata-based franchise has finally bounced back at the perfect time, winning matches. They are now lying seventh in the points table and are still in contention to qualify for the playoffs as the season nears its business end. They chased down the target of 143 runs in 15 overs and boosted their NRR.

At the same time, former India spinner R. Ashwin wasn't too impressed with the strategies used by the Kolkata-based franchise during their match against DC, where Cameron Green came into bat at the No. 4 position. He emphasized the need for a clear definition of roles for the middle order. He revealed that the Ajinkya Rahane-led side should use Green higher up the order and also look for players who can change gears according to the match situation.

“KKR has to find a way to keep the tempo on top [on the batting front]. Cameron Green should bat in the top 3; he’s not a No. 5 or 6 batter. You can’t finish with him. They have to find batters who can bat at different tempos like Rinku Singh. Yes, KKR can win their remaining four games," R Ashwin was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel.

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Talking about Finn Allen's brilliant hundred against the Axar Patel-led side, Ashwin lauded his ability and said KKR could become serious contenders if everything works in their favor. He also emphasized the growing impact of spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy on the team and suggested they could play a huge role in helping the team lift the title.

“Finn Allen has the ability. In such games, he will break the net run rate (NRR). The biggest specialty of KKR is the Sunil-Chakaravarthy partnership. If they come together, they will win the tournament. The problem was that Varun was being taken for runs; in the last two games, he has come out of it. He’s put in a performance because of which Sunil Narine’s bowling has started to shine,” he said.

Injury setbacks undo Kolkata Knight Riders

Ashwin also highlighted that injuries and unavailability were the two setbacks during the first half of their season and revealed that they didn't use Rinku Singh effectively in their batting lineup.

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“Their plan [at the auction] was Sunil-Chakarvarathy, Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, and Mustafizur Rahman. They would have been in a very, very strong position. It was unlucky for them that Pathirana got ruled out and Rahman was out. In the back half of the tournament, they are getting things right. Another thing was that Rinku Singh was playing too much down in the batting order," he concluded.


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