Delhi Capitals (DC) kept their narrow mathematical hopes of qualifying for the playoffs of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) alive as they defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The Delhi-based team won the fixture by five wickets with four balls to spare as they chased down a total of 194.
The Capitals won a second consecutive game against a playoff hopeful after defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamshala earlier in the week. The Axar Patel-led side has won six matches and is now seventh on the table.
They have one match left, which is the last league stage match of the tournament on Sunday (May 24) against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
IPL 2026 Table AFter DC VS RR On May 17
How Delhi Capitals Can Qualify For IPL 2026 Playoffs?
The Capitals’ chances of reaching the playoffs are still alive, but they need a lot of other results to go their way. The Delhi-based team needs to win their last match against KKR. If they lose that match or it is washed out, they will be knocked out of the tournament.
In order for the 2020 finalist to qualify (assuming they beat KKR), they need KKR to lose to the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to beat the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Moreover, they need both RR and CSK to not win more than one of their remaining games. In this case, they need to ensure their NRR remains above the Royals and Super Kings. Meanwhile, if both RR and CSK lose both their games, the Capitals will qualify regardless of NRR, provided the other results (DC and MI beat KKR, and LSG beats PBKS) go their way too.
The Axar-led side has no chance of securing a top two finish and playing the first qualifier. They are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.