Kolkata Knight Riders’ Finn Allen celebrates his century (PTI Photo) Ajinkya Rahane reflected on Kolkata Knight Riders’ all-round performance after their commanding eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals, praising both Finn Allen’s batting heroics and the consistency of his bowling unit. KKR sealed their fourth straight win in IPL 2026 after first restricting Delhi to 142/8 with disciplined spin before Allen’s unbeaten 100 off 47 balls completed the chase in ruthless fashion.
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Is everything wrong with Suryakumar Yadav’s wrist? | Exclusive visuals Rahane said he was particularly pleased to see Allen turn a difficult start to the season into a match-winner. “First of all let me say I’m really happy for Finn Allen. He struggled for the first four or five games, he worked really hard but the way he batted tonight was fantastic,” Rahane said. He also highlighted how KKR’s bowlers set the tone for the win, especially in the middle overs where Delhi lost control after a promising start from Pathum Nissank and KL Rahul. “But I want to praise our bowlers again. We did well because of them. Especially the middle overs and death overs, they did it so consistently,” he added. Rahane reserved special praise for the spin trio of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy and Anukul Roy, who combined to stifle Delhi’s scoring and trigger the collapse. “Our spinners have been fantastic. Narine, Varun and Anukul Roy, they understand the conditions so well. They make my job as captain easy,” Rahane said. He also highlighted the influence of the support staff in shaping KKR’s fielding and bowling standards. “Our fielding coach has been really strict with us. That’s why you see the difference in catches and fielding. Credit goes to him as well,” he noted. Rahane went on to talk about the team’s mindset and discipline in pressure situations. “It’s all about staying in the moment. What we discuss in the dugout and the locker room is simple, just focus on the next ball. That helped us,” he said. On Narine Rahane’s role, he added, “You don’t have to tell him too much. He is always ready. Even in practice, he learns and shares his experience. As a captain, I am lucky.” He also praised bowling coaches Tim Southee and Dwayne Bravo and young performers like Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy for stepping up. “Overall we are doing really well as a bowling unit. But it is important that we stay grounded. One game at a time,” concluded Rahane.
