Delhi: Delhi Capitals (DC) will take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 62nd match of the IPL 2026 season on Sunday, 17 May at 7:30 PM at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Both teams are desperately aiming to secure two crucial points to keep their playoff hopes alive.
DC are currently in 8th position with 10 points from 12 matches, having won 5 games while suffering 7 losses. After their recent victory against PBKS, they still remain in the playoff race, although their chances are now very slim. Following one win, DC had endured five consecutive losses at their home stadium, with several rollercoaster performances throughout the season. Their overall performance this season has looked highly inconsistent, and the middle order has mostly appeared out of form, although it finally showed impressive signs of returning to rhythm in the last match against PBKS. Their bowling attack, however, has remained decent.
On the other hand, RR slipped to 5th position after their defeat against GT. They currently have 12 points from 11 matches, with 6 wins and 5 losses. After a strong start to the season, they have struggled to maintain consistency. Their batting issues, particularly the inconsistency in the middle order, have continued to trouble them despite an impressive comeback in rhythm in some matches. However, they still possess a fairly strong opening duo capable of providing solid starts. Their bowling unit has also looked less effective in recent matches and has struggled to deliver consistently at crucial moments. While another boost-up update ahead of today’s clash is that Riyan Parag is expected to return to the playing XI and resume his captaincy duties. He missed the previous match against the Gujarat Titans due to a hamstring injury but is now anticipated to be fully match-fit, although there has been no official confirmation from the franchise.
In the previous meeting between the two sides on 1 May, DC comfortably defeated RR by 7 wickets. However, DC still have two matches remaining, while RR have three, giving them slightly more opportunities to stay alive in the playoff race.
In IPL encounters between these two teams, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals have faced each other 31 times. Out of these matches, Delhi Capitals have won 16 games, while Rajasthan Royals are close behind with 15 victories.
DC Squad: KL Rahul, Karun Nair, David Miller, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, Sahil Parakh, Prithvi Shaw, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Ajay Mandal, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari, Nitish Rana, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera, Auqib Nabi, Lungi Ngidi, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Yadav.
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (C), Ashutosh Sharma, Madhav Tiwari, Mukesh Kumar, Auqib Nabi Dar, Mitchell Starc.
Impact Player: Lungi Ngidi
RR Squad: Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao Perala, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger.
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande. Impact Player: Brijesh Sharma
The weather in Delhi is expected to remain hot and dry during the match. The forecast suggests clear skies with almost no chance of rain, making a full uninterrupted game highly likely. During match hours, the temperature is expected to stay around 35–39°C with low to moderate humidity and a light breeze. Overall, the conditions are expected to favor batting, while dew is unlikely to play a major role later in the evening. The pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium is expected to be batting-friendly with good pace and bounce. The short boundaries and flat surface should assist stroke-makers, making another high-scoring encounter likely. However, the pitch has shown mixed behavior this season, producing both 200-plus totals and occasional batting collapses. Fast bowlers may get a little movement during the powerplay, while spinners could find some grip in the middle overs as the surface slows down slightly. This clash promises to be an exciting contest as both teams battle to secure two vital points in the intense playoff race.
