IPL 2026: Why is Mukesh Kumar not playing KKR vs DC Match 69?

Fast bowler Mukesh Kumar's absence from the Delhi Capitals' (DC) playing XI in the ongoing Match 70 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, May 24. DC made a couple of changes to their playing XI ahead of the match, where they are playing for pride and for providing some entertainment to their fans, as they are already out of the race for the playoffs.

KKR vs DC: Toss Update

The toss went in favour of the hosts KKR, who opted to bowl first on a batting-friendly surface in their hometown. Meanwhile, KKR also have an all-important game to play, as a comprehensive victory will help them get over the line and become the fourth and final team to make the cut for the playoffs of the tournament. 

KKR vs DC: Kuldeep Yadav comes; Mukesh sits out

In a game that is being played as a customary formality by the Capitals, they have chosen to given another opportunity to Auqib Nabi, the tearaway pacer from Jammu & Kashmir, while Mukesh was rested to vacate a place for the former. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav also came in, with Tripurana Vijay slated to play a part in the match.

KKR vs DC: What did the captains say?

Ajinkya Rahane, KKR captain,

"We will bowl first. It’s pretty simple. We know the scenario depending on what’s going to happen in the previous game, which is happening right now. But regardless of that, we don’t know what the result will be. Also, the wicket looks really good. So yes, it’s very simple. It’s still a game of cricket to be played, and the last six games have been fantastic for us.

"We still want to compete and win this game. As I said, we don’t know what’s going to happen, but whenever you play a game of cricket, you always look to win. Really proud of the unit, especially because it’s not easy to come back from the situation we were in. It takes courage, character, and attitude to bounce back as a team.

"IPL is a funny tournament with 24–25 players and support staff; maintaining that atmosphere and intensity and carrying it forward every time is fantastic. So yes, I’m really proud of each and every one. Same team."

Axar Patel, DC captain,

"Yes, obviously I would have bowled first because, the way this tournament has gone, we’ve done well while chasing. So yes, looking at that, we would’ve bowled first. But it’s not bad because the wicket looks good, and even if we look ahead to next year, though that’s still far away, if we bat first, our batsmen will get an opportunity to understand how to approach batting first as well. No, I don’t think we should see it like a bad dream. Obviously, there’s a lot of reflection and thought about what we could’ve done better or changed. But honestly, I don’t think we played bad cricket.

"I’d say we were unfortunate at crucial moments; we dropped catches at key times. Cricket is like that, when opportunities come, if you don’t grab them, you fall behind. Those opportunities were ours, and the mistakes were ours too. So I think we should learn from them and move forward. Sometimes when you’re winning, even if you make small mistakes, they get ignored because you don’t focus too much on them.

"But when those same small moments hurt you badly, then you realize that if we hadn’t made those mistakes, we could’ve been in a completely different position. But that’s cricket, after every season, there are always regrets. What matters is whether you executed the plans your team made. If the answer is yes, then I think you should move on and look ahead. We have two changes. Mukesh Kumar misses for Auqib Nabi Dar and Tripurana makes way for Kuldeep Yadav."

KKR vs DC: Playing XI

Kolkata Knight Riders

Ajinkya Rahane (c), Manish Pandey, Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya (w), Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Saurabh Dubey, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kartik Tyagi

Impact Substitutes: Finn Allen, Sarthak Ranjan, Vaibhav Arora, Ramandeep Singh, Rahul Tripathi

Delhi Capitals

Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (w), Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (c), Ashutosh Sharma, Madhav Tiwari, Auqib Nabi Dar, Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi

Impact Substitutes: Tripurana Vijay, Sameer Rizvi, Vipraj Nigam, Nitish Rana, Kuldeep Yadav