Delhi Capitals stayed alive in the IPL 2026 playoff race after Mitchell Starc’s fiery spell and solid half-centuries from Abishek Porel and KL Rahul sealed a five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals.
Delhi Capitals kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a crucial five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on May 17. Chasing 194, DC reached 197/5 in 19.2 overs with four balls to spare after composed knocks from Abishek Porel and KL Rahul set up the chase.
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Rajasthan Royals posted 193/8 in their 20 overs after strong batting performances from Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. RR got off to a rapid start despite losing Yashasvi Jaiswal early for 12. Teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed 46 off just 21 balls with five fours and three sixes, while Dhruv Jurel anchored the innings with a steady 53 off 40 deliveries.
RR skipper Riyan Parag then accelerated brilliantly in the middle overs. The right-hander hammered 51 runs from only 26 balls and looked set to take Rajasthan beyond the 200-run mark. However, Mitchell Starc completely changed the momentum in the 15th over with a sensational burst.
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Chasing 194, Delhi Capitals started aggressively and raced to 72/0 inside the powerplay. Abishek Porel played fluently for his 51 off 31 balls, while KL Rahul continued his excellent form with a composed 56 off 42 deliveries. Their 105-run opening stand laid the foundation for the chase.
Although RR picked up wickets in the middle overs through Jofra Archer and Brijesh Sharma, Axar Patel remained calm at the crease. The DC captain scored an unbeaten 34 off 18 balls, while Ashutosh Sharma provided the finishing touches with a blistering unbeaten 18 off only five balls.
DC In Playoff Race
The win pushed Delhi Capitals to 10 points from 13 matches and kept them mathematically alive in the playoff race. DC now need victories against Kolkata Knight Riders and likely another favorable set of results to remain in contention for the top four.
For Rajasthan Royals, the defeat proved costly in a tightly packed points table. RR remain on 12 points from 12 matches and still have fixtures remaining against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians. Two wins could potentially take them to 16 points and strengthen their playoff qualification hopes significantly.
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