Delhi Capitals pulled off a sensational seven-wicket victory against Rajasthan Royals, chasing down a formidable 226 with five balls to spare in an IPL 2026 clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Friday.
Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul plays a shot. . Photos by AFP
This victory marks DC’s highest successful run-chase in IPL history and provided a much-needed response after their humiliating collapse to 75 in the previous game. The Capitals finished at 226/3 in 19.1 overs, sealing the win with seven wickets in hand.
Chasing 226, DC got off to a blistering start as openers KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka added 110 runs for the first wicket. Nissanka played the aggressor, smashing a fluent 62 off just 33 balls, while Rahul anchored the innings with a composed 75 off 40 deliveries. Their explosive 70-run powerplay set the tone for the chase.
Nitish Rana kept the momentum alive with a quick 33 off 17 balls before Tushar Deshpande dismissed him. After Rahul fell to Jofra Archer in the 16th over, Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs ensured there were no further jitters. The duo hammered the bowling in the death overs, with Sharma’s aggressive cameos and Stubbs’ calm presence guiding DC home comfortably.
Earlier, Rajasthan Royals posted 225/6 after opting to bat first. Skipper Riyan Parag led from the front with a commanding 90 off 50 balls (8 fours, 5 sixes), rescuing the innings from 12/2 alongside Dhruv Jurel (42). However, the highlight of RR’s innings was Donovan Ferreira’s explosive unbeaten 47 off just 14 balls, including a sensational assault that took the total past 200.
Mitchell Starc was the pick of the DC bowlers, claiming three wickets, while Kyle Jamieson, Axar Patel, and T Natarajan picked up one each.
Delhi Capitals registered their fourth victory of the season and climbed to sixth on the points table. Rajasthan Royals, despite the loss, remain in fourth place with six wins from 10 matches.
The match showcased the high-scoring entertainment that has defined IPL 2026, with both teams producing aggressive, boundary-filled cricket.
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