Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Abhishek Nayar said that maintaining composure helped his side make a late fightback in IPL 2026.

“If you look at the messaging during the struggling phase and now, it has not changed much. The trust in the players and the way we view them remain the same. It was important for us to stay true to our core values as a team and as individuals,” Nayar said ahead of the home contest against Delhi Capitals.

DC batting coach Ian Bell felt that inconsistency had been the defining factor behind the team’s challenging IPL campaign, saying that the inability to seize crucial moments ultimately proved costly in the playoff race.

“We have shown this season that we can score 264 [against Punjab Kings] and then follow that up by getting bowled out for 75 [against Royal Challengers Bengaluru]. We also couldn’t defend 264 with the ball. There have been times when we have been brilliant and others when we simply haven’t been good enough,” Bell said.

“If we turn those results around and, if we win tomorrow [Sunday], suddenly we are sitting on 18 points and talking about a top-two finish. At times, we have probably been guilty of not closing games out,” Bell added.