Jaipur : Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 43rd match of the IPL 2026 season on Friday, 1st May, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur at 7:30 PM. RR come into this match after a fantastic victory over PBKS, handing them their first loss of the season on Tuesday. On the other hand, DC arrive after an embarrassing defeat against RCB on Monday. A major boost for DC revolves around the much-anticipated return of Mitchell Starc.
RR started their season in impressive fashion but later faced ups and downs. Out of 9 matches, they have won 6. In their last match against PBKS, the victory has given them more confidence and provided strong momentum. A key issue they have faced in matches has been the collapse of the middle order, which was also a major concern earlier. However, Donovan Ferreira and impact substitute Shubham Dubey have performed the finishing role effectively, bringing much-needed relief to their concerns. With 12 points, RR hold 4th position and are now close to qualifying for the playoffs. They aim to win matches to secure their qualification.
On the other side, DC have faced several setbacks in recent matches. They started their campaign on a strong note but have since struggled, registering only 3 wins in 8 matches. They currently hold 7th position on the table with 6 points. In their last two matches, one against PBKS, they lost despite scoring 264 runs, and in the most recent match against RCB, they were bowled out for just 75 runs. DC need significant improvement in both batting and bowling departments to bounce back from this major setback.
However, there is positive news for DC that boosts their morale ahead of this match—the return of Mitchell Starc. In the pre-match press conference for RR vs DC, bowling coach Munaf Patel said: “He is available from tomorrow. Our best bowler will definitely play, but the final decision will be taken tomorrow. His return definitely helps,” Munaf said. Although Lungi Ngidi is still unavailable due to a head injury, Starc’s inclusion comes as a timely and significant boost for DC.
In IPL history, they have faced each other in a total of 30 matches, with Rajasthan Royals winning 15 of them and Delhi Capitals also winning 15.
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.
DC Predicted Playing XI:
Sahil Parakh, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (c), Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, T. Natarajan
Impact Player: Vipraj Nigam / Auqib Nabi
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.
RR Predicted Playing XI:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Dubey, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma
Impact Player: Yash Raj Punja / Ravi Bishnoi
The weather in Jaipur is expected to be quite favorable for cricket. During the evening match hours, temperatures may remain high, around 34–38°C, with clear to partly cloudy skies. There is almost no chance of rain, so interruptions are highly unlikely. Humidity will be moderate, and a light breeze may provide some relief as the match progresses. Overall, conditions suggest a full game without weather disruptions, although the heat early on could be a factor before it cools slightly later in the night. The pitch at Sawai Mansingh Stadium is expected to be batting-friendly, with the ball coming nicely onto the bat. Fast bowlers may get some assistance early on, but as the match progresses, batting becomes easier. Spinners could get some turn in the middle overs, and dew later on may favor the chasing team, making it a potentially high-scoring contest. While RR aim to strengthen their position and qualify for the playoffs, DC are desperate to regain momentum and revive their campaign. It will be interesting to see the result of this crucial encounter.
