Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals (226/3) beat Rajasthan Royals (225/6 in 20 ovs) by 7 wickets at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
RR vs DC: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Delhi Capitals finally have something to cheer about as they beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Jaipur, bringing an end to their poor run in IPL 2026. DC were earlier dealt a shock when they failed to defend 264 against Punjab Kings, after which Royal Challengers Bengaluru stunned them by bowling them out for 75 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. At that stage, it seemed everything was going wrong for the Capitals.
But on Friday, the Capitals snapped their three-match losing streak after chasing a mammoth target of 226 with five balls to spare. In fact, the Capitals responded in style, recording their highest successful run-chase in the history of the IPL.
For the Royals, Riyan Parag returned to form with an impressive 90-run knock at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, but his resurgent innings went in vain. The Royals, meanwhile, have started to lose momentum.
Starting their campaign on top of the table with four wins on the trot, they have now lost four of their last six matches. As a result, Rajasthan Royals are now in danger of slipping out of the top four, with Gujarat Titans closely breathing down their necks.
JUREL, PARAG STEADY ROYALS
With the Royals batting first, all eyes were on how the battle between Mitchell Starc and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would unfold. However, that contest didn’t materialise as Kyle Jamieson cleaned up the 15-year-old, who endured a rare failure, and gave him a fiery send-off.
Starc did not make the best start after Yashasvi Jaiswal hacked him over the leg side for a six in the very first ball of the match, but the veteran pacer bounced back in style to dismiss the Rajasthan opener.
With both RR openers back in the hut inside the first two overs, Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag stepped up and ensured the side didn’t lose momentum, guiding them through a powerplay that produced 56 runs.
The duo went on to stitch a 102-run stand off 59 balls to put RR in a commanding position. Between the two, Parag looked in a different zone altogether, playing with intent and authority.
PARAG, FERREIRA SHINE
Parag, who had been under scrutiny following his vaping controversy, looked determined to respond strongly. The Rajasthan skipper, averaging around 14 before this match, brought up his half-century off 32 balls.
Just when he looked set for his maiden IPL century, Starc accounted for his wicket. However, Parag’s 90-run knock, featuring eight fours and five sixes, ensured RR had a solid platform.
Jurel played the perfect supporting role, scoring 42 off 30 deliveries. Ravindra Jadeja, promoted up the order, managed 20 off 14 before Starc dismissed him. It was Donovan Ferreira, though, who made the real difference in the death overs with an unbeaten 47 off just 14 balls.
In the 18th over, Ferreira unleashed a brutal assault, smashing Kuldeep Yadav for three consecutive sixes before targeting Starc and T Natarajan. Starc, playing his first match of IPL 2026, was arguably the standout DC bowler, finishing with figures of 4-0-40-3.
RAHUL, NISSANKA LAY THE PLATFORM
The Capitals got off to a flying start with KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka ensuring their team seized the initiative right from the word go. Coming off a horror batting display against RCB, where they recorded the lowest powerplay score in IPL history, DC produced a far better performance as Rahul and Nissanka added 110 runs for the opening wicket in 9.3 overs.
Nissanka, who replaced Sahil Parakh as opener, raced to his half-century off 23 balls, putting the Rajasthan bowlers under immediate pressure. With RR needing a breakthrough, Ravindra Jadeja stepped up, dismissing Nissanka, who made 62 off 33 balls with six fours and three sixes.
CAPITALS FINISH IT OFF CLINICALLY
Thereafter, Nitish Rana and KL Rahul continued the momentum, stitching a crucial 61-run stand for the second wicket. Rana scored 33 off 17 balls before Tushar Deshpande dismissed him caught behind after effective use of DRS. With 53 needed off the last 30 balls, the Capitals still had their noses slightly ahead.
However, Jofra Archer brought the Royals back into the contest, picking up the big wicket of KL Rahul, who made 75 off 40 balls, hitting six fours and five sixes. In the 17th over, the floodlights went off, causing a brief stoppage in play.
With 30 runs needed off 18 balls, Tristan Stubbs (18) and Ashutosh Sharma (25) ensured DC did not suffer any major hiccups. Ashutosh Sharma then took 16 runs off the 18th over to put the Capitals firmly in control. With five needed off the last ball, Ashutosh struck Brijesh Sharma for a boundary through the off side and then completed the chase with a single.
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