The business end of IPL 2026 continues to dish out pure chaos. In Match 62 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Delhi Capitals (DC) successfully played spoiler, chasing down a challenging 194-run target to secure a clinical five-wicket win over the Rajasthan Royals (RR). While the victory keeps DC’s mathematically microscopic playoff hopes alive, it exposes a massive problem for the Royals, who are dangerously faltering at the worst possible moment of the campaign.
The Mitchell Starc Storm: One Over Flips the Script
With Rajasthan Royals cruising at a massive 160/2 in the 14th over and threatening to easily breach the 220-mark, Delhi Capitals desperately needed a spark. Enter Mitchell Starc. The seasoned Australian speedster produced a vintage death-bowling masterclass, turning the match entirely on its axis to finish with crucial figures of 4/40 and the Player of the Match honors.
The defining moment of the entire contest came during Starc’s blistering second spell, where he claimed an incredible three wickets in a single over. He first broke the menacing 72-run stand by removing the dangerous RR skipper Riyan Parag, thanks to a sharp low catch by Axar Patel. Off the very next delivery, he sent Donovan Ferreira packing, before trapping the incoming Ravi Kumar plumb in front of the stumps.
Starc’s devastating over triggered an irreversible slide for Rajasthan Royals, moving them from a position of total dominance to a frantic defensive block. Starc later returned in the 19th over to remove impact sub Dasun Shanaka, putting the exclamation mark on a tactical exhibition of reverse swing and clever variations.
A Top-Heavy Royalty Crumbles
Before Starc’s intervention, Rajasthan’s top order had set a fiery tempo. The precocious Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a blistering 46 off just 21 balls during the Powerplay. Following his departure, Dhruv Jurel (53 off 40) and Riyan Parag (51 off 26) looked completely untroubled, anchoring the middle overs with absolute authority.
However, Starc’s clinical over exposed a heavily vulnerable lower order. The rest of the batting card fell off a cliff, with only two other batters crossing double figures and five logging single-digit scores. Ably supported by Lungi Ngidi (2/24) and Madhav Tiwari (2/27), DC choked RR to a manageable 193/8. It was an exceptional late-innings squeeze that saw the Royals lose 6 wickets for just 33 runs in the final six overs.
DC’s Textbook Run Chase
Delhi Capitals’ response was absolute perfection from the outset. Openers Abishek Porel (51 off 31) and KL Rahul (56 off 42) broke the back of the chase with a flawless 105-run opening partnership, decimating the new ball and registering DC’s highest Powerplay score of the 2026 season (72/0).
Though a couple of quick wickets threatened to halt their momentum, captain Axar Patel stabilized the ship with a cool, unbeaten 34 off 18 deliveries. When David Miller fell, the stage was set for Impact Player Ashutosh Sharma to put on a finishing clinic. Smashing an astonishing 18 runs off just 5 balls – including a massive winning six off Adam Milne in the final over – Ashutosh abruptly slammed the door shut on any potential Rajasthan Royals’ fightback, crossing the finish line in 19.2 overs.
Points Table Drama
This result shuffles the bottom half of the log considerably. Delhi Capitals leapfrog KKR into 7th position. While DC can only reach a maximum of 14 points – making a final-four spot nearly impossible due to Net Run Rate and other fixtures – they have severely damaged Rajasthan Royals’ smooth sailing.
The Royals remain stuck at 6th place. Though they still hold two crucial games in hand against bottom-tier sides (LSG and MI) and can reach 16 points, this sudden slump strips away their psychological cushion, turning their final fixtures into high-pressure, must-win matches.
Also read: KKR vs GT: Sunil Narine Foxes GT On A Belter of Wicket