Toss & Conditions

Big runs are expected on the pitch set to be used, with first-innings totals crossing 180 in four of the last five matches on this surface. Three of the last four games here have been won by the side batting first, with the only sub-180 first innings in that span coming when DC were bowled out for 75 against RCB last month.

Head-to-Head

DC have won the last three meetings against RR. In the most recent meeting earlier this month, DC chased down RR’s 225/6 to win by seven wickets with five balls remaining. The match was defined by DC completing a successful 226 chase. Across these three games, the pattern has been one-way, with DC winning every time.

RRRajasthan Royals 225/6

DCDelhi Capitals 226/3

2026-05-01 · DC won by 7 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

DCDelhi Capitals 188/5

RRRajasthan Royals 188/4

2025-04-16 · Match tied (DC won the one-over eliminator)

DCDelhi Capitals 221/8

RRRajasthan Royals 201/8

2024-05-07 · DC won by 20 runs

Delhi Capitals

DC are 8th in the IPL regular season with 10 points and a 5W-7L record. Their last three results read as two losses followed by a three-wicket win, with the latest win coming in a chase where they got home with six balls remaining. The recent sequence shows them alternating between being beaten comfortably and pulling off a tight finish.

DCDelhi Capitals 216/7

PBPunjab Kings 210/5

2026-05-11 · DC won by 3 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)

DCDelhi Capitals 142/8

KKKolkata Knight Riders 147/2

2026-05-08 · KKR won by 8 wickets (with 34 balls remaining)

DCDelhi Capitals 155/7

CSChennai Super Kings 159/2

2026-05-05 · CSK won by 8 wickets (with 15 balls remaining)

Rajasthan Royals

RR are 5th in the IPL regular season with 12 points and a 6W-5L record. Their last three results include a 77-run loss to Gujarat Titans and a seven-wicket loss to DC, with their lone win in that stretch coming via a chase finished with four balls remaining. The recent run includes two heavy defeats around one successful chase.

RRRajasthan Royals 152/10

GTGujarat Titans 229/4

2026-05-09 · GT won by 77 runs

RRRajasthan Royals 225/6

DCDelhi Capitals 226/3

2026-05-01 · DC won by 7 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

RRRajasthan Royals 228/4

PBPunjab Kings 222/4

2026-04-28 · RR won by 6 wickets (with 4 balls remaining)

Playing XI

News & Facts

Key Stats

Verdict

Models are split, leaning RR at 52% on average, with individual calls ranging from DC 54% to RR 60%. Bookmakers also lean RR, pricing RR at 54% (1.77) vs DC at 46% (2.07). Key stats favour RR 4-2 overall, while the last-three head-to-heads favour DC. The outcome is likely to hinge on whether RR’s season edges translate despite DC’s recent dominance in this matchup and the pitch trend toward big first-innings totals.

Starc swings it back DC’s way

Mitchell Starc’s late burst was the pivot in a match that threatened to run away from Delhi Capitals. Rajasthan Royals looked set for 210-plus after a flying start and a punchy middle, but Starc’s strikes yanked the innings off course and left DC chasing a target they could attack. Delhi still had to absorb a couple of wobbles, yet Lokesh Rahul’s calm control ensured they crossed the line by 5 wickets with four balls to spare.

Death-overs squeeze seals chase

The decisive phase came right at the end of RR’s innings. After racing to 171/5 through 16 overs, RR managed only 22 runs while losing three wickets in the death overs (17–20), a dramatic slowdown from their earlier tempo. That dip mattered because DC’s chase was built on momentum: 72/0 in the powerplay gave them margin for error when three wickets fell in the middle overs and the rate briefly climbed.

Rahul anchors, Starc ends it

Rahul’s 56 off 42 was the chase’s spine, especially after the 104-run opening stand with Abhishek Porel set the platform. When RR clawed back with three middle-overs wickets, Rahul’s tempo management kept DC within one good over of control. Starc, though, was the difference-maker: his 4/40 repeatedly broke RR’s rhythm, and the squeeze he sparked at the back end proved the gap between 193 and something far bigger.

Pre-match edges didn’t finish it

The numbers beforehand leaned RR: better season metrics, a touch more away form, and a sense that big first-innings totals would rule. Instead, the match hinged on execution under pressure. RR’s advantage with the bat didn’t translate when the finishing overs demanded clean hitting and smart risk, while DC’s much-discussed head-to-head confidence showed in how they kept chasing the game rather than panicking after the middle-overs stutter.