The match between RR and DC is going to be very important for both the teams. Rajasthan Royals can return to the top-4 with a win, while Delhi Capitals’ playoff dream can be shattered if they lose. The return of Riyan Parag is considered a big relief for RR.
Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals Match Preview: In the 62nd match of IPL 2026, the second match to be held today on Sunday, May 17, is between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals. This match will be played at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Rajasthan Royals (RR) have played only two matches in the last two weeks and have lost both. For this reason, the team currently seems to be lagging behind in the race for the playoffs. However, Sunday could prove to be a season-changing day for them. If Royal Challengers Bangalore beats Punjab Kings and then Rajasthan Royals beats Delhi Capitals, then RR can again make it to the top-4.
Rajasthan Royals got a chance to prepare after a long break
The long break between consecutive matches has given Rajasthan Royals an opportunity to strengthen their strategy again. Team captain Riyan Parag has started batting in the nets. He could not play the last match due to a slight hamstring injury. On May 1, Parag batted brilliantly against Delhi Capitals and scored 90 runs in 50 balls. That innings almost doubled his runs this season. Now once again he would like to continue the same rhythm against Delhi.
Defeat for Delhi Capitals means out of playoffs
This season of Delhi Capitals has been full of ups and downs. The team made its highest score in IPL this season, but still lost the match. Despite the strong bowling attack, the team could not perform well on important occasions. The weakness of the middle order, Mitchell Starc’s early injury and Kuldeep Yadav’s poor form have increased the team’s problems. If DC, captained by Akshar Patel, loses on Sunday, their playoff journey will end here.
Eyes will be on the competition between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mitchell Starc
Yashasvi Jaiswal was in great form at the beginning of the tournament. In the first four innings he scored 183 runs at an average of 91.50. But his performance has declined in the last seven matches and he has scored only 132 runs at an average of 18.90. The rivalry between Jaiswal and Mitchell Starc has been in the news since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The two had come face to face earlier this month, where Jaiswal hit a six on Starc’s first ball, but Starc dismissed him in the same over.
Delhi expects big innings from Tristan Stubbs
Tristan Stubbs has been one of the slow starting batsmen this season. His strike rate in the first 10 balls was only 111. However, his method is to first understand the pitch and then score runs quickly. But statistics show that even after being set, his strike rate remained around 140. Despite this, Stubbs is a match-winning player and Delhi will expect big innings from him.
Pitch report: Batsmen may get advantage
The pitch prepared for this match is considered helpful for the batsmen. In four of the last five matches played here, the first innings score has been more than 180 runs. This did not happen in only one match, when the Delhi Capitals team was all out for just 75 runs against RCB. Apart from this, out of the last four matches on this ground, three matches have been won by the team batting first.
Weather report: Players’ fitness will be tested
The weather is likely to be very hot on the match day. The temperature can reach up to 42 degrees Celsius. In such a situation, maintaining the fitness of the players and energy on the field will be a big challenge for both the teams.
Delhi Capitals Probable Playing XI
Abhishek Porel
KL Rahul (wk)
Sahil Parakh
david miller
Ashutosh Sharma
Akshar Patel (captain)
Tristan Stubbs
Madhav Tiwari
Kuldeep Yadav
Mitchell Starc
lungi ngidi
Mukesh Kumar
Rajasthan Royals Probable Playing XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Dhruv Jurel (wk)
Riyan Parag (captain)
Donovan Ferreira
Shubham Dubey
Ravindra Jadeja
jofra archer
Ravi Bishnoi/Yash Punja
Nandre Berger/Adam Milne
Brijesh Sharma
Tushar Deshpande