New Delhi: Former India spinner Murali Karthik He believes that Delhi Capitals are still reeling from their heartbreaking one-run defeat against Gujarat Titans earlier this IPL season – a loss which he feels completely derailed their campaign.Ahead of DC’s crucial clash against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, Karthik said the Axar Patel-led side never truly recovered from that dramatic defeat at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!“DC, last year won 4-5 matches in the beginning, and this year too they won their first two. If you look at their team, there is not much wrong with it,” Karthik said on Crackbuzz. “But the one-run loss against GT, those 2 points, that has become a mental scar for them. Due to which they are having trouble. I don’t think they’ve recovered from that yet.
DC were all set for a strong start to IPL 2026 after winning their opening two matches. However, a dramatic defeat against Gujarat – where David Miller ‘Controversially’ conceded a single before a run-out off the last ball ended the chase – completely changing the team’s momentum.
DC’s campaign picks up after GT Heartbreak
Since that defeat, Delhi have managed just two wins in eight matches. His campaign included extreme highs and lows – from failing to defend 264 to striking out 75 in another game.“They then lost after scoring 264, then they are being bowled out for 75, they were 13-6 at one stage, so they went in a completely different way,” added Karthik.Now seventh in the table with eight points from 10 games, DC will need to win all four remaining matches to realistically stay alive in the play-off race.The Capitals are also struggling badly at home. His batting has repeatedly failed against quality spin attacks on difficult surfaces, while the bowlers have leaked runs consistently throughout the season.
KKR arrived with momentum.
In contrast, Kolkata Knight Riders went into the competition with confidence after winning three matches in a row, including a victory over table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad.“I don’t know if KKR are favorites for this match or not, but they will come into the match in a good place,” Karthik said.“There was a time when there was a lot of criticism against him. The players, the captain and everyone was being dragged.”While KKR’s playoff hopes are dim, Karthik believes the former champions have at least regained some confidence at the business end of the tournament.
