India, May 25 -- Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants were the first teams to be eliminated from the 2026 Indian Premier League a couple of weeks ago. But every match they played thereafter had some life in it; for, their opposition had something to gain.

But the last match of the league phase on Sunday night between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals at the iconic Eden Gardens was an absolute dead rubber, with nobody gaining anything from it. In the afternoon game earlier in the day, when Rajasthan Royals comfortably beat Mumbai Indians to become the fourth and last team to qualify for the play-offs, the fate of the KKR-DC match had been written. Who won that match or lost -- nothing mattered, to all intents and purposes.

Had ...