Starc shines as Delhi beat Rajasthan to stay alive

By Cricketing Country | Posted Posted May 18, 2026

Delhi Capitals kept their Indian Premier League playoff hopes alive with a thrilling five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday night.

Chasing 194, Delhi reached 197/5 in 19.2 overs thanks to a composed 56 from KL Rahul and a late unbeaten 34 from captain Axar Patel. Ashutosh Sharma then finished the chase in style with a quick 18 off just five balls.

Earlier, Rajasthan posted 193/8 after strong innings from young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (46 off 21), Riyan Parag (51 off 26) and Dhruv Jurel (53 off 40).

Sooryavanshi once again gave Rajasthan a flying start, smashing 42 runs in the powerplay and helping his side reach 75/1 after six overs. Parag then accelerated brilliantly, scoring his fastest IPL fifty and putting Rajasthan on course for a 200-plus total.

However, Mitchell Starc turned the game around in the death overs. The left-arm pacer claimed four wickets, including a crucial three-wicket over, as Rajasthan collapsed from 160/2 to 193/8.

Delhi also started strongly in the chase, reaching 72 without loss in the powerplay, with Abishek Porel and Rahul setting the platform.

Though Rajasthan fought back in the middle overs, Delhi held their nerve at the end to secure two important points.

The defeat was a big setback for Rajasthan, who missed the chance to move into the top four.