Summary of this article
DC have included Mukesh Sharma in the playing XI against KKR in place of T Natarajan
Vipraj Nigam has also been added into the XI, while Kuldeep Yadav will feature as an Impact Player
DC will bat first against KKR in Delhi
Delhi Capitals (DC) will cross paths with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 51 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday, May 8.
After losing four of their last five games, DC have been pushed to a do-or-die situation, where they need to win the match against KKR to keep their fate in their own hands.
If DC win all their remaining four matches, then they could comfortably sneak their way into the playoffs with 16 points. However, if they lose, they could go to 14 points, which would almost eliminate them from the tournament.
Now, when the push has come to the shove, DC have made a significant change in their playing XI, where they have dropped T Natarajan and have brought in Mukesh Kumar in his place.
T Natarajan was retained by Delhi Capitals for a whopping INR 10.75 crore for this season, but he hasn't lived up to the faith that was instilled in him by the team management.
The 35-year-old Tamil Nadu pacer is known for bowling yorkers at will, which is a hard to master skill set in cricket. However, the southpaw has not managed to execute his skills well this year and has given away runs at an economy rate of in excess of 11 runs per over.
On top of that, he has managed to pick only 5 wickets in five matches played so far.
Apart from that, Vipraj Nigam has been included in the playing XI, while Kuldeep Yadav will be used as an Impact Player.
DC Vs KKR, IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals Playing XI
Delhi Capitals: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul(w), Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar
