Mitchell Starc is expected to make his first appearance of the season for Delhi Capitals on Friday. | Photo Credit: RV MOORTHY

About 300 kilometres separate Delhi and Jaipur. The difference in quality of the cricket played by the franchises from the two northern Indian cities has been greater in IPL 2026.

While Rajasthan Royals is well placed to claim a berth in the playoffs, Delhi Capitals is lying in the bottom half of the table. And after a nightmare of a match at home against Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier this week, Axar Patel’s men have to come up with a much better effort against Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Friday.

Lightning usually doesn’t strike twice, and Capitals’ batting lineup is strong enough not to collapse for another score like 75. In just the previous match, K.L. Rahul alone had made more than double that total. Capitals made in excess of 260 against Punjab Kings but still lost.

When you cannot defend that big a score in one game and then get bowled out for an embarrassingly low total in the next, you certainly have to do something. And time is running out.

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Delhi should be hoping for another major innings from Rahul, and from Nitish Rana, too. The two men had destroyed the PBKS bowling in some style.

On the bowling front, there is some good news. Mitchell Starc is available for the first time this season. The left-arm quick from Down Under will no doubt bolster the attack that received a setback through Lungi Ngdi’s fall during the match against Punjab.

How Vaibhav Suryanvashi greets Starc is definitely worth looking forward to. The prodigy’s fearless batting has perhaps been the highlight of this IPL. Into just his second season, he already has two hundreds. His opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel also ensure runs at the top of the order.

As for bowling, you cannot hope for many better men than Jofra Archer to lead.

Published on Apr 30, 2026