Fans erupt as Mitchell Starc and KL Rahul power DC to an emphatic victory over RR in IPL 2026

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 witnessed yet another high-octane thriller as fans erupted at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. In the 62nd match of the season on May 17, 2026, the Delhi Capitals (DC) pulled off an emphatic 5-wicket victory over the Rajasthan Royals (RR), boosting their standings in a fiercely contested tournament. Chasing a formidable target of 194, Delhi reached 197/5 with 4 balls to spare, courtesy of a masterclass opening partnership and a clinical finish under pressure.

Mitchell Starc derails RR’s batting lineup with a 4-wicket haul

Electing to bowl first, Delhi Capitals faced an initial onslaught from the Rajasthan Royals’ top order. After Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early for 12, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a quickfire 46 off just 21 balls. The momentum was carried forward by Dhruv Jurel, who anchored the middle overs with a steady 53 off 40 deliveries, and skipper Riyan Parag, who cleared the boundaries at will to score a blistering 51 off 23 balls. At 161/2, Rajasthan looked well on track to post a total beyond 220.

However, veteran Australian speedster Mitchell Starc turned the game on its head with an exceptional display of death bowling. Starc triggered a dramatic collapse in the 15th over, dismissing the dangerous Parag and removing Donovan Ferreira for a golden duck on consecutive deliveries. He returned late in the innings to trap Ravi Singh leg-before for 4 and remove the dangerous impact sub, Dasun Shanaka, for 10. Starc finished with phenomenal figures of 4/40 in his 4 overs, putting the brakes on RR’s scoring rate. Supported by Lungi Ngidi’s economical 2/24 and Madhav Tiwari‘s 2/27, DC restricted Rajasthan to 193/8 when a much larger total seemed inevitable.

DC edge past RR to a thrilling victory in IPL 2026

The run chase required a flying start, and Delhi’s opening duo delivered exactly that. Abishek Porel and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul weaponized the powerplay, bringing up a 100-run partnership in just 55 balls. Porel played a crucial hand of 51 off 31 balls, decorated with 7 fours and a six, before falling to Brijesh Sharma. Rahul anchored the chase beautifully, scoring an elegant 56 off 42 balls, punctuated by 3 towering sixes.

Despite losing quick wickets in the middle overs, including Sahil Parakh (9) and Tristan Stubbs (4), DC kept the asking rate under control. Captain Axar Patel played a vital, ice-cool cameo, remaining unbeaten on 34 off just 18 balls. Jofra Archer tried to pull things back for RR with a fiery spell of 2/35, while Brijesh picked up 2/44, but the pressure of defending a short boundary told in the final overs. With Rajasthan penalized for a slow over-rate in the final stretch, extra fielders were forced inside the circle. The explosive Ashutosh Sharma, coming in as an impact player, capitalised instantly by smashing an unbeaten 18 off just 5 balls. Delhi comfortably crossed the finish line at 197/5 in 19.2 overs, sent the home crowd into a frenzy, and sealed a memorable IPL 2026 chapter.

Also WATCH: Axar Patel’s spectacular diving catch removes Riyan Parag during DC vs RR showdown

Here’s how fans reacted:

Also WATCH: David Miller grabs a stunning catch to dismiss Vaibhav Suryavanshi during DC vs RR encounter

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: crickettimes.com

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