Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals Indian Premier League, 2025

DROPPED by Maheesh Theekshana! An 11-ball over topped with another dropped catch to conclude the innings. Sandeep Sharma goes hard into the deck, on a back of a length and way outside off, Tristan Stubbs looks to pull but gets a top edge that goes high above short third. Maheesh Theekshana settles under it and tries to take it with both hands but the ball just pops out of his hands. The batters take a run and Delhi Capitals end at 188/5.

Short again, with pace taken off, over middle and off, Ashutosh Sharma flat bats it to long on for one.

Goes into the surface, on a shorter length, just within the tramline on off, Tristan Stubbs reaches for it and drags it down to long on for a single.

SIX! This is turning out to be a huge over for the Delhi Capitals! Another full toss, on middle and leg, Stubbs clobbers it over cow corner for a biggie.

FOUR! Tristan Stubbs makes good use of the Free Hit. A low full toss, on leg, Tristan Stubbs steps across and flicks it behind square on the leg side for a boundary.

NO BALL! Just got from bad to worse for Sandeep Sharma and Rajasthan Royals. Sandeep oversteps and nails the yorker, on middle, Ashutosh Sharma digs it out to deep square leg for one. A Free Hit to follow.

WIDE! Make that 4 off the over. Sandeep Sharma is suddenly struggling to find his line right. Pace off, on a length and way beyond the tramline on off. Left alone by Ashutosh Sharma.

WIDE! That's the third wide off the over already. Full and down leg this time.

This is superb bowling! Short and over off, Ashutosh Sharma gets on top of his toes and looks to ramp it behind but misses. It is called a fair delivery and Ashutosh Sharma sends it upstairs for a check. The Ball Tracking shows the ball to be passing over the batter's head height, and the on-field call is overturned to a wide ball. Great use of a review this.

Executes what he intended to do on the last ball perfectly this time. On a length, well outside off, away from the batter's arc. Ashutosh Sharma cannot reach for it as he looks to swipe across.

WIDE! Pace off, on a length but wayward outside off. Left alone by Ashutosh Sharma.

Quick one from Archer, full and on middle and leg, Ashutosh Sharma takes his front leg out and looks for a heave across the line but misses. The ball deflects off his pads and rolls onto the leg side and the batters sneak in a leg bye. 16 runs off that over.

This has been a good phase for Delhi Capitals. And with Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma, the two big hitters, tailor-made for such situations, DC would be aiming to get past the 180-run mark. Which, of course, would be a challenging score.

WIDE! A slower bouncer, way too short and over off, Ashutosh Sharma takes a step out but lets it pass.

FOUR! Third boundary off the over and both players are toying with the field placements. Short one, over middle and leg, Ashutosh Sharma was cramped in for room but still manages to ramp it past short third to his left for four more.

Fires in a yorker, on middle and leg, Tristan Stubbs makes room and jams it out to short third off the outer half of the bat for a single.

FOUR! Smartly done. Jofra Archer takes pace off and drops it very short, on off, Tristan Stubbs moves across and waits for an eternity for the ball to arrive. Scoops it back over the keeper's head for a boundary.

Archer goes into the deck, on a back of a length, on off, Sharma pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

FOUR! Sublime placement. Jofra Archer goes full and outside off, Ashutosh Sharma gets low and squeezes it right through the gap between short third and backward point for a boundary.

Jofra Archer (2-0-17-2) will bowl the penultimate over.

On a length, on off, Ashutosh Sharma moves across a bit and jams it to the on side for a single.

Back of a length, over off, Sharma punches it through cover-point and takes a couple of runs. Shimron Hetmyer in the deep makes a fine stop to keep it down to just the two.

WIDE! A bit beyond the tramline outside off. Sandeep Sharma will have to relaod that one.

Was there a nick? Sanju Samson definitely feels so and has sent it upstairs for a check. Sandeep Sharma drops it very short and over middle and off, Ashutosh Sharma looks to ramp and misses out. The ball goes past the bat and Sanju Samson takes a catch behind the stumps. The UltraEdge shows no spike when the ball passes the bat and the on-field call of NOT OUT stays. Rajasthan Royals lose a review.

Short of a length, on off, Tristan Stubbs knocks it to long on for one.

Very full, on middle, Ashutosh Sharma shows full face of the bat and drives it straight as an arrow. Sandeep Sharma on his follow-through sticks down his right hand and almost snaffles it but it was hit very hard and the ball bursts through the hands and the batters take one.

Back of a length, on off, Stubbs pulls it through mid-wicket for one.

Ashutosh Sharma is in at number 7. Also, Sandeep Sharma (2-0-7-0) is back into the attack.

OUT! CAUGHT! Maheesh Theekshana strikes back and pulls the handbrakes on Axar Patel's cameo. Dishes out a full toss, there to be hit, on middle and off, Axar Patel looks to heave it over long on but is a bit too early on the shot and loses the bottom hand off the handle as he swipes too. The ball goes straight to Dhruv Jurel at long on, who takes a few steps ahead and grabs onto a good catch. Axar Patel departs after a solid 34 (14) and Delhi Capitals are 146/5.

FOUR! Just what DC needed! Short one, on middle, Axar goes deep in the crease and punches it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

FOUR! Raining boundaries! Maheesh Theekshana offers a low full toss outside off, Axar Patel initially makes room but does well to reach out for it as he slices it over point for four more.

Short and off, Tristan Stubbs slaps it cover and steals a quick run.

Full, on off, Axar Patel thumps it to long on for one.

SIX! Axar Patel is on a rampage! Maheesh Theekshana serves a full toss, on off, just under the waist height, Axar Patel smokes it square on the leg side for a biggie.

Maheesh Theekshana (3-0-24-0) is back on. He replaces Tushar Deshpande.

DROPPED BY PARAG! How big could this dropped chance prove to be? Tossed up by Wanindu Hasaranga on middle and off, Tristan Stubbs hoicks it in front of long on. Riyan Parag moves ahead to his right, gets both hands to it, but spills it out. A couple of runs taken.

Tossed up, on off and middle, Stubbs works it through mid-wicket for a brace.

Drops it short and on off, Axar Patel whips it to long off for one.

SIX! BANG! Axar Patel is targeting his bowler. Full and on middle, Axar Patel takes a big stride to slog sweep it over mid-wicket for a biggie. 14 off the first three.

FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries and Axar Patel has started the surge! Full and on off and middle, Axar slaps it through covers for another boundary.

FOUR! Just away from the fielder. Wanindu Hasaranga drops it short and on off, Axar Patel rocks back and swipes it hard and flat to the right of deep mid-wicket. Shimron Hetmyer puts in a full-stretched dive, but the ball evades his reach and races into the fence.

Into the surface, at 122.5 kph, outside off, Axar Patel hops and throws his bat at it, and works it between cover and point for another single. An excellent over by Deshpande. Just a 5 singles off it.

Short, angling across middle, Axar Patel opens the bat face again, but finds the fielder at backward point.

Slower delivery, outside off, on a nagging length, Tristan Stubbs drives through cover for a single.

On top of middle, good length, Axar Patel opens the bat face and glides it down to deep third for a single.

Slower one, outside off, on a good length, Stubbs hops on the back foot and works it to the leg side for a single.

Length, on the pads, nudged to deep backward square leg for a single.

Length, turning in on middle, Axar Patel nudges it with soft hands to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Axar Patel walks in at number 6 for Delhi Capitals.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! CAUGHT! DC have now lost both their set batters in the span of just a few deliveries. Wanindu Hasaranga dishes out on a fuller length, just around off, on a flatter trajectory. Abishek Porel gets his front leg out of the way and attempts to clear long off, but doesn't quite get his bat under it while swinging through. Ends up slicing it off the toe-end of the bat and Riyan Parag takes a regulation catch while running a few steps ahead. Abishek Porel departs on 49 (37) and Delhi Capitals are 105/4.

Another one that turns away very sharply, on off and on a length, Tristan Stubbs backs away and cuts it to point. Maheesh Theekshana makes a fumble in the field and allows the batters to cross for a single.

SIX! Clean strike! Landed into the arc, on middle, Tristan Stubbs gets on his knee and slogs it powerfully over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Turns away sharply, full and outside off, Tristan Stubbs strides forward to push away, but gets beaten on the outside edge.

A googly, around off, worked into the off side.

Strategic Break! Delhi Capitals were building some good momentum with a promising partnership, but the dismissal of KL Rahul has once again shifted a bit of pressure back onto them. That said, there's still plenty of firepower left in the shed. This current pair will aim to steady the ship with a short stand before launching into an aggressive finish. On the flip side, Rajasthan Royals had to work hard to break that 63-run stand, but now that they've got the breakthrough, they'll be hunting for more. Expect them to tighten the screws in these final overs, looking to dismantle the core and restrict DC to as low a total as possible.

Pace on now, surprising the southpaw. Short and lifting off the deck, on top of off, Abishek Porel leans back to ramp it over the keeper, but misses. A successful over for Jofra Archer and RR. Archer's figures read 3-0-17-2 so far. Oh, hold on! Surprisingly, Abishek got a faint edge as displayed on the UltraEdge later on. Neither Samson nor Archer appealed for it.

On a length around off, Stubbs bunts towards mid on and gets a single.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Pace off working like a charm for RR at the moment. Archer bowls another slower one, into the pitch, short and on the stumps, KL Rahul mistimes the pull shot, and gets it flat towards deep mid-wicket. The ball dips in front of Shimron Hetmyer, stationed in the deep, and he bends low to scoop it before the grass. The third umpire wants to have a look at it for a fair catch, and it is deemed as one. KL Rahul departs for 38 (32). Jofra Archer gets his second wicket as he breaks this 63-run stand. Delhi Capitals are 97/3. Tristan Stubbs is the new batter in for DC.

WIDE! He will have to reload again! Rolls his fingers and takes the pace off. Goes short and over the batter's head. KL Rahul lets it sail over him. Wide given.

A bumper, slower one, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel pulls it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Pace on, full toss, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel strokes it to the left of long on for a couple of runs. Dhruv Jurel with a good sliding stop to his left.

A slower one, on a good length, at 114.4 kph, over top of middle, KL Rahul pulls it to deep square leg for a single.

Darted onto the pads, at 98.4 kph, fuller, Abishek Porel flicks it between long on and deep mid-wicket and calls for two straightaway. Shimron Hetmyer runs across to his right from deep mid-wicket and intercepts the ball with a dive. Two taken.

Angled across off, on a length, KL Rahul cuts it to deep point for a single.

On middle and leg, a yard behind fuller length, Abishek Porel charges forward and steers it to deep mid-wicket for another single.

Flat and short, on the leg stump, KL Rahul tucks across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Tossed up, too slow, on off, on a length, KL Rahul waits for it and punches it to cover.

Flat and too full, outside off, Abishek Porel carves it to point, where the fielder lets it through to the deep, allowing a single.

Riyan Parag is introduced into the attack.

Slowish, fullish, on the pads, Abishek Porel tickles it to the short fine leg region for a quick single.

Nagging length, on the stumps, stabbed into the off side.

A drag down, on middle, KL Rahul rocks back and pulls in front of square for a single.

SIX! Bread and butter for KL Rahul! Dropped fuller, on off, KL Rahul clears his front leg and smashes it over the bowler for a 73-meter six. Doesn't connect it off the middle, and just for a brief moment, the fielder from long on was in play, but it goes sailing just above the leaping man in the deep. This also brings up the 50-run stand between these two batters.

On a length, outside off, cut off the back foot, but straight to short third.

Keeps it away from off, KL Rahul reaches for it and hits it to deep point for a single.

FOUR! Cut away! Wanindu Hasaranga drops it a bit too short and keeps it outside off, allowing Porel enough time to rock back. He waits for the ball to reach to him and cuts it through backward point for a boundary. Delhi Capitals are 77/2 at the halfway mark.

Another one that goes across Porel, and he fails to make any contact as he looks to drive it through the off side this time. Struggling to read the ball off the hands here.

Looped too full, on middle and leg, KL Rahul knocks it down to long on for a single.

A tad short, on off, Porel slaps it to long off for one.

The wrong'un, tossed up full and across the left-hander outside off, Abishek Porel swings across and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Full and on off, KL Rahul rocks back and whips it to long on for one.

On a nagging length, skidding through quicker, on leg, Abishek Porel swivels for the pull, but is beaten onto his waist.

Tossed up, on leg, KL Rahul clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Dropped short and on off, Abishek Porel pulls it to deep square leg for one.

Full, on middle, KL Rahul works it to deep mid-wicket for one.

FOUR! Nice shot, but that's a very ordinary effort from Dhruv Jurel. Short and on off, KL Rahul backs away and punches it through cover. Jurel from deep extra cover moves across to his right and slides, but the ball goes through his body for a boundary. Seemed like Jurel's spike lost traction while on the charge.

Short and into the pads, KL Rahul tucks it to the vacant mid-wicket region and takes two good runs.

Strategic Break. After the initial few fireworks, RR's bowlers have quite well managed to keep things quiet. The first two overs went for 33, only to be followed by 13 in the next four overs, with two big wickets. KL Rahul and Abishek Porel will aim to pick their bowlers to accelerate from here, as they wouldn't want to get too bogged down in the middle overs. The pitch has shown some signs of turn and bite, and it will be interesting to see how they negotiate against the two Sri Lankan tweakers. An exciting phase of middle overs loading up. Spin in tandem from RR. Maheesh Theekshana (1-0-5-0) returns into the attack.

Flatter in trajectory, full and on off, KL Rahul cuts it to deep cover for one. A good start from Wanindu Hasaranga. Just 4 runs off his first over.

Full and at the stumps, KL Rahul prods out to block.

A bit quicker, full and on middle, Abishek Porel rocks back and punches it to long on for one.

Tossed up, on off, KL Rahul lunges to swipe it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Flighted full, on middle, KL thumps it straight to cover.

Starts from over the wicket and loops the first one very full, on middle and leg, Porel works it to long on for one.

Wanindu Hasaranga is introduced into the attack. He replaces Sandeep Sharma.

A low full toss, outside off, Porel whips it to long on for one. 10 runs off Tushar Deshpande's second over.

Tushar digs it into the surface, on a back of a length, over off, KL Rahul waits back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

SIX! KLASS! 50 is up for the Delhi Capitals and this was a much-needed one. Fuller than a length, on off, KL Rahul opens up his stance and swings through the line to club it over long off for a biggie.

Good length, on off, KL Rahul punches it to cover.

Back of a length, angling across the left-hander, outside off and keeps a tad bit low too. Abishek Porel swivels to pull, but adjusts to the lack of bounce and drags it across to deep mid-wicket for one.

Angling into the stumps, on a length, Rahul taps it to long on for one.

So, just one over for Maheesh Theekshana. Tushar Deshpande (1-0-23-0) returns into the attack.

An excellent over from Sandeep Sharma to end the Powerplay. Just 4 runs off it. Fuller length, on middle, KL works it to long on for a single. Delhi Capitals end the Powerplay at 46/2.

A low full toss, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel clips it to mid on and picks up a quick run.

Drops this one short and over off, KL Rahul pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Switches to over the wicket but still keeps it full and at the middle stump line, KL Rahul takes a step away and pushes it to the left of the bowler off the cue end of the bat.

Another one that is fired in right at the stumps, Abishek Porel jams it to the square leg region and picks up a single.

Goes full, right in the blockhole, at the stumps, Abishek Porel digs it out, down the deck.

Fullish again, on middle and leg, this is nudged off the pads towards the right of square leg.

Seeing KL Rahul charging down the track, Maheesh bowls it flat and quick, keeping it on middle, KL Rahul tries to work it across, but gets it sliced to the cover region.

FOUR! A gift and KL accepts it gleefully! Maheesh slips in a full toss, on the pads, KL Rahul whips it over square leg for a boundary.

An in-drifting on middle and leg, KL Rahul carves it out to the off side.

On a fullish length, just outside off, KL Rahul leans on it and eases it out to the point region.

Over the stumps, flat and full, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana comes into the attack now.

Fuller and on middle and leg, Abishek Porel flicks it all along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Speared fuller, on off, KL Rahul charges down the pitch and pushes it to the right of the bowler. Sandeep tries to stick his left hand out to the ball, but misses and the mid off fielder stops it with a dive to his right. A single taken.

Aims the stumps, on a length, on middle, KL Rahul gets right behind it and bunts it on the pitch.

Very full, at the toes, Abishek Porel flicks it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Delhi Capitals are in early trouble.

Short on off, Abishek tries to pull, but again gets it edged to the short third fielder.

OUT! RUN OUT! A massive anti-climax for Karun Nair as he departs on a duck this time around. On a shortish length, around off, Abishek Porel swivels to pull, but gets a thick outside edge, as the ball rolls towards the short third fielder. Karun is already almost halfway through, trying to sneak in a single, but is sent back by Abishek Porel after an initial charge. Wanindu Hasaranga picks and throws to the bowling end. Sandeep is standing in front of the wickets and collects before whipping the bails off with an underarm throw. And Karun Nair is found just short of his crease, trying to drag his bat in the crease. KL Rahul walks in next for DC.

Sandeep Sharma comes into the attack, replacing Tushar Deshpande.

Oh, just short! A searing bumper at 145.9 kph, on the body again, Karun Nair mistimes his pull shot. It is lobbed in the air off the toe-end of the bat, but luckily for him, it falls on the bounce in front of the charging square leg fielder.

Dug in short, on the bodyline, Karun Nair dodges underneath it.

Good length, around off, Karun Nair presses forward and taps it to point.

Karun Nair walks in at number 3 for Delhi Capitals.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Jofra Archer provides his side with the first breakthrough! And another low score for Jake Fraser-McGurk! On the hard length, shaping away from the batter, around off, Jake Fraser-McGurk tries to execute the golf swing and looks to hoist over the bowler, but mistimes it and loses his shape a bit as well. Slices it over the cover region, and it is taken safely by Yashasvi Jaiswal at the mentioned position. Jake Fraser-McGurk departs for 9 and DC are 34/1.

A surprise bumper at 145 kph, on middle, Abishek Porel manages to pull it to deep square leg. A single taken.

Fuller ball, on the stumps, Abishek Porel stabs it back to the bowler.

An inswinging low full toss, on the pads, whipped across to deep square leg for a single. 23 off Tushar's first over.

FOUR! And again! Banged short on top of the off stump, a slower one, Abishek Porel pulls it through the vacant deep mid-wicket region for a boundary.

FOUR! Driven crisply! Fuller one, almost a half-volley, across off, Abishek Porel reads the slower ball well, strides across and drives it through backward point for a boundary.

SIX! This is some positive start for DC! The first six of the evening! Length-delivery, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel picks it up nicely and uses his wrists to flick it behind deep square leg for an 85-meter six. Excellent timing on that one.

EDGED AND FOUR! Across off, full, Abishek Porel charges down to hit it downtown, gets a leading edges and the ball races to the deep third fence.

FOUR! Deshpande is greeted with a boundary! A friendly full toss to start with, on middle, Abishek Porel picks it up well, and lofts it between mid on and mid-wicket for a boundary.

Tushar Deshpande will share the attack from the other end.

Porel too, is off the mark! Hard length, on the leg stump line, skidding through, Abishek Porel glances it off the back foot to deep square leg for a single. 10 off the first over then.

Hard length, at 144.9 kph on off, Jake Fraser-McGurk taps it to the point region and steals a quick single.

FOUR! TWO IN TWO! Fuller now, on off, Jake Fraser-McGurk opens the bat face and lofts it over cover-point. The ball dribbles into the fence for a boundary.

FOUR! DC and Jake Fraser-McGurk are off the mark in style! Back of a length, outside off, Jake Fraser-McGurk gets on top of it and smashes it over backward point for a cracking boundary.

Hits the deck hard, with a bit of an inward movement, at 142 kph, outside off, Jake Fraser-McGurk drags it off the inside half of the bat to mid on.

Archer is right on the money! A slip in position for him and he starts with a searing inswinger on the pads, full in length, Jake Fraser-McGurk flicks it straight to square leg.

In all readiness for the action to begin. The umpires and players are all out in the middle. Jake Fraser-McGurk is joined by Abishek Porel to open the innings for Delhi Capitals. Jofra Archer has the new ball in hand and is raring to start the proceedings. Archer to JFM first up. Away we go!

Karun Nair from Delhi Capitals is in for a chat. He says it was special to have his family around when he scored a 50 and wants to repeat it again in this game. Mentions he wasn't targeting any bowler and was only focusing on the balls and he had complete freedom of thought and wanted to just commit to the plans he had in mind. Says he worked hard and, more importantly, started believing in himself and trusting his instincts to play the way he wanted to, which has helped him.

The captain of Delhi Capitals, Axar Patel, says that they would have bowled first as well. Says in the last game, they were in the hunt, and because of the dew factor, he wanted bowl. Adds it is important to learn from the mistakes. Also says it is crucial to finish the games, and talks about having those discussions in the team meetings. Admits they got a bit relaxed during the chase last time around. Informs that they are going unchanged.

The skipper of Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, says it looks like a good wicket to bowl first and ideally it should get better later on, which is why they want to bowl first. Adds that this being early in the tournament, they want to back themselves to play as per the conditions and not follow a trend. Mentions that they have to put the past behind them and with a couple of days' gap, they have gotten time to sort things out. Concludes that they go unchanged into this game.

Impact players nominated by Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal and Kunal Singh Rathore.

Rajasthan Royals (Unchanged Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C/WK), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.

Impact players nominated by Delhi Capitals - Mukesh Kumar, Sameer Rizvi, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira and Tripurana Vijay.

Delhi Capitals (Unchanged Playing XI) - Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (WK), Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma.

TOSS UPDATE - The flip of the coin lands in favor of Rajasthan Royals and Sanju Samson elects to BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Graeme Swann is along with Shane Watson at the centre for the pitch analysis. Swann says this is a gorgeous place to play cricket and mentions the dimensions for this game, informing that the square boundaries are 61 meters and 62 meters, while the straight hit is 72 meters. Further adds how difficult this place is for the bowlers with such small dimensions. Watson joins in and says it is a nice surface as seen in the previous game where Mumbai Indians scored 205 runs batting first. Adds that it is a bit drier than the previous game, and it will offer enough assistance for the bowlers. Observes a decent grass cover and says it's a bit patchy, which could give bowlers a bit more purchase. States that the average winning score while batting first is 230 runs. Further talks about a bit of grip that the spinners could get and reckons that variations in pace will be crucial too.

Both teams have served some real close games and their head-to-heads also suggest the same, with a 3-2 lead for RR in the last five meets, but the Capitals have been unbeatable at home against them with a perfect 3-0 record at this venue in the last three games against these rivals. Will this be another batter’s show, or does it have some added spice to it? Stand by for the all-important toss and team announcements coming up shortly.

Batting heaven is what Delhi has become these days. The recent DC-MI thriller saw another mountain of runs as the hosts nearly scaled a massive 206-run target. But don't write off the bowlers just yet – there's something in the surface for the spinners too, as in the previous game played here, 9 wickets were taken by the spinners across both innings. And with high quality spinners in the likes of Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Vipraj Nigam, and Kuldeep Yadav in action, all are likely to influence proceedings this time around.

Rajasthan Royals' campaign has been a rocky road so far, with their journey marked by two early losses, a brief revival, and then another pair of defeats. With just four points from six outings, it's crunch time for RR to get their act together. Their batting scorecard makes for concerning reading as only Yashasvi Jaiswal has managed a couple of fifties, while skipper Samson and Nitish Rana have just one each to their names. Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer have blown hot and cold, showing glimpses, but without much sustained impact. Despite their impressive Powerplay numbers with the bat, RR's middle-order crumbles alarmingly against spin - a weakness DC's twirlers will be licking their lips to exploit. Archer continues to deliver with the ball, but he's fighting a lonely battle and needs his bowling colleagues to step up if the Royals are to salvage their campaign.

The DC juggernaut came to a halt as the home side faced their first defeat of the season a few moons back against MI. Though still comfortably nestled in second spot, DC will be eager to return to winning ways. Their strength has been the all-round team performance, with KL Rahul anchoring the batting unit masterfully. Karun Nair unexpectedly took center stage in their previous outing, with cricket giving him a ‘second chance’ to redeem himself after a long exile from the playing elevens. However, the opening combination remains problematic. Faf du Plessis continues to battle fitness issues, while Jake Fraser-McGurk's form has been making them sweat a bit. The bowling unit, in contrast, looks rock solid with Starc and Kuldeep leading the pace and spin departments with clinical efficiency.

This 2025 IPL season has been shattering cricketing calculators at every turn. We've seen the unthinkable become reality, from a gigantic 246-run target being hunted down to a modest 111 being successfully defended, with Punjab Kings remarkably starring in both cricket oddities. And folks, we're not even at the halfway stage yet. As the tournament progresses, expect more nail-biting finishes and statistical anomalies that will keep you glued to your screens and questioning everything you thought you knew about T20 cricket.

Hello, everyone! Games come thick and fast in the Indian Premier League, and we are back to serve you another dose of dopamine as the tournament progresses into its 32nd match. The capital city will welcome the high-flying Delhi Capitals, who are set to host the struggling Rajasthan Royals. The Arun Jaitley Stadium will light up once again in what promises to be the perfect midweek cricket fix you've been craving.

... MATCH DAY ...

We are almost at the halfway point in the IPL 2025 season, as we are on to match number 32. In this fixture, it will be the Delhi Capitals taking on Rajasthan Royals at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Delhi Capitals have had smooth sailing in this season, as they have won 4 out of their 5 games and are sitting pretty in the top 4 of the points table. They would have well been 5 out of 5 had they not created a mess of their chase against MI, where they were in the driver’s seat for most part of it. Coming to their batting this season, KL Rahul has been their go to man, as he has notched up two 50-plus scores in his 4 outings and both the knocks have been match winning ones. Apart from him, Faf du Plessis did give a glimpse of his own self in the chase against SRH. The likes of Abishek Porel and Tristan Stubbs have got a few starts, and in their lower order, Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam have made material contributions. In their last game, Karun Nair came in as an impact player and showed a glimpse of what he can offer as he tonked MI Bowlers at will, scoring an impressive 89 of just 40 balls. In their bowling department, Kuldeep Yadav really has been their pick of the bowlers, as he seems to be at the peak of his powers, bowling with a lot of control and guile. He is DC’s leading wicket taker this season, having taken 10 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 5.60. Mitchell Starc has looked close to his best, having taken 9 wickets, however, his last two games haven’t been up to the mark as he was smashed all over the park. Axar Patel, their captain, is nursing a finger injury and he has bowled very little this season. Their young leggie Vipraj Nigam has been mighty impressive with the ball. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals , haven’t really looked like the team of the last IPL cycle, where they played with a lot of clarity. Their victories and losses this season, have come in sets of two, as they lost the first two games, then won their next two and then again lost their next two games. In the batting department, their premier opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has now notched up two 50s in the last 3 games and he is slowly getting into the groove. His opening partner, Sanju Samson, has been getting starts, but has failed to convert those into big ones after his fifty in the first game. Similarly, Riyan Parag too has got starts but has failed to capitalize in most of the innings. In the lower order Shimron Hetmyer has played a few cameos as he has handled the finishing duties well. Overall, RR’s issue seems to be their lack of batting depth which doesn’t allow their batters to bat with freedom and they need to address it quickly, as the tournament reaches the halfway stage. In their bowling department, the biggest positive for them has been Jofra Archer's return to form, as he has looked very threatening post that game against SRH, where he conceded a record 76 runs in 4 overs. Their Sri Lankan spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga have been a little on and off, and RR would be hoping for the spin duo to find some rhythm as soon as possible. Their death over specialist, Sandeep Sharma has been doing a tidy job. So, coming to this fixture, it promises to be a high scoring one, as teams batting first at Arun Jaitley Stadium have consistently crossed the 200 run-mark since 2024. Rajasthan Royals would be itching to get back to winning ways, whereas Delhi Capitals would be hoping to put their previous loss behind them, and would be looking to approach this game with a fresh mindset. So, can Rajasthan deliver a royal performance at the Arun Jaitley stadium or will the Capitals get their 5th win of the season and solidify their position in the top 4? We shall find out.