IPL 202: Here's why RR can ace the DC challenge
What's the story
Delhi Capitals (DC) will take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The match is set to start at 7:30pm IST on Sunday. While RR (six wins in 11 games) can qualify for playoffs with wins in each of their three remaining games, DC (5 wins in 12 games) will officially be eliminated with another defeat. Here we look at why RR can dominate the upcoming fixture.
Recent form
DC's struggles at home
DC's home record has been disappointing, with just one win in six matches. The team's batting has also struggled, with captain Axar Patel's form being a major concern. The top order has been inconsistent, contributing to DC losing more wickets in the powerplay than any other team this season. In the bowling department, the inability of Kuldeep Yadav and Lungi Ngidi to take wickets have hurt the team.
Team struggles
RR's recent form and captain's woes
RR has also been plagued by batting woes, with Yashasvi Jaiswal's form dipping and captain Riyan Parag struggling with the bat. However, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has provided the team fiery starts in most matches. In Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shubham Dubey, RR also have three solid finishers. Though Jofra Archer has lacked support in the bowling department, the likes of Tushar Deshpande and Brijesh Sharma must back themselves to come good against a struggling DC line-up.
H2H
H2H record between the 2 teams
As per ESPNcricinfo, DC and RR have clashed 31 times in the IPL, with the head-to-head record being a narrow 16-15 in DC's favor. The Capitals won by seven wickets when these two sides met earlier this season, having chased down the 226-run target. Notably, DC have a 7-3 lead over the Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Line-ups
Probable XIIs of DC and RR
DC (Probable XII): KL Rahul (wk), Abishek Porel, Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (c), Ashutosh Sharma, Madhav Tiwari, Mukesh Kumar, Auqib Nabi Dar, Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi. RR (Probable XII): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma.