Jaipur: KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka, and Nitish Rana powered a strong chase after Mitchell Starc’s timely wickets had kept the target within reach as Delhi Capitals (DC) beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets in a high-scoring Match 43 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 in Jaipur on Friday.
Chasing a tough 226 after RR scored 225/6, Delhi started at a brisk pace, even though Jofra Archer continued his trend of opening the bowling. Archer gave up 11 runs in his first over, which was his second-most expensive first over this season. DC took advantage of this. They raced to 49 for 0 in four overs, one of the best starts against RR this season, and they did it without losing a wicket. This was different from previous blazing starts of 57/1 and 55/2.
Nissanka set the pace early, taking advantage of anything short. Of his half-century, 30 runs came from five pulls and four flicks, showing how RR’s bowlers struggled to find the right lengths against him. Delhi soared past 70 in the Power-play, something they hadn’t done even in their 264-run outing earlier this season.
Rahul played a perfect supporting role before speeding up. He targeted Ravi Bishnoi, RR’s main wicket-taker, scoring 26 runs off just nine balls, a big leap from his earlier results against the leg-spinner. By the ninth over, DC were cruising at 108 for 0, clearly in control of the chase.
Nissanka reached a rapid 52 off 26 balls in the Power-play but slowed down once the field spread. He managed just 10 runs outside the powerplay before getting out at 110 for 1 in 9.3 overs while trying a reverse sweep off Ravindra Jadeja.
Rahul kept the energy high. He got to his fifty in 27 balls, scoring 32 off 14 deliveries outside the powerplay and ensuring the asking rate, close to two runs per ball, stayed under control. At 120 for 1 in 11 overs, DC were well ahead.
The scoring rate didn’t drop as Rana, batting at No. 3, played an important role. Starting cautiously at 6 off 6, he soon broke free, hitting Jadeja for two sixes in one over. His rapid 33 off 16 balls kept RR at bay, with DC needing just 60 runs off the last 10 overs, and the asking rate never exceeded 12.
Earlier, Rajasthan Royals set a solid total with skipper Riyan Parag leading them from the front with a superb 90 off 50 balls. RR stumbled early to 12 for 2, but Parag and Dhruv Jurel (42 off 30) rebuilt, moving to 56 for 2 in the Power-play and 91 for 2 in 10 overs.
Parag then sped up, overpowering Kyle Jamieson with 32 runs off 12 balls, pushing RR to 166 for 3 in 16 overs. However, Starc’s impact was key. He took out Jadeja and Parag in quick succession, slowing things down to 173 for 5.
A late flurry from Donovan Ferreira (47 off 14) helped RR reach 225 for 6, setting a challenging chase.
Despite a shaky moment towards the end when DC lost two well-set batters quickly, leaving 49 needed off 28 balls, the target remained manageable. Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma made sure there were no hiccups in the later stages as DC cruised to a seven-wicket victory.
Brief scores:
Rajasthan Royals 225/6 in 20 overs (Riyan Parag 90, Donovan Ferreira 47 not out; Mitchell Starc 3-40, Kyle Jamieson 1-48) lost to Delhi Capitals 226/3 in 19.1 overs (KL Rahul 75, Pathum Nissanka 62; Ravindra Jadeja 1-33) by seven wickets.
(IANS)
