Delhi Capitals (DC) take on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match No. 43 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Friday, May 1.
Axar Patel’s Delhi Capitals are on a three-match losing streak. They have registered only three wins in eight games. Their last win was against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 18. The Capitals would want to end their run of losses and get their campaign back on track.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals have won six matches so far and lost three after playing nine. They find themselves at No. 4 on the points table. They are coming into this clash on the back of a morale-boosting six-wicket win against the Punjab Kings.
Here are 3 player battles for RR vs DC, Match 43 of IPL 2026:
3. Mukesh Kumar vs Yashasvi Jaiswal
Mukesh Kumar had a great start to the season and was particularly excellent against left-handers. However, his form dipped as the season went along. In the last game, he was rested. However, it is expected that he will return to the side and share the new ball with the fit-again Mitchell Starc.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been overshadowed by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi but still managed to score important runs for the Royals in IPL 2026. In nine innings, he has scored 306 runs at an average of 43.71 and a strike rate of 158.55.
2. Jofra Archer vs KL Rahul
Jofra Archer has been having an outstanding season with the ball. He has given the Royals early breakthroughs in almost every game. The England seamer has 14 scalps from nine games at a staggering average of 8.27. He will be hoping for another strong outing on Friday.
Meanwhile, his battle with KL Rahul would be intriguing to watch. The wicketkeeper-batter has amassed 358 runs in eight innings at an average of 51.14 and a strike rate of 185.50. In previous seasons, Rahul used to see out the most threatening bowler in the opposition lineup and attack the others. However, this season, he has shown a tendency to put each and every bowler in the opponent team under pressure.
1. Mitchell Starc vs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Mitchell Starc is expected to play the game on Friday. His addition to the side would be a massive boost. The left-arm seamer has the ability to pick up wickets with the new ball and bowl toe-crushing yorkers at the back end.
He will have to be at his best while bowling to the dangerous Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old is in sublime form, having scored 400 runs in nine innings at an average of 44.44 and a strike rate of 238.10. If he gets himself set at the crease, it is pretty difficult to dislodge him before he does some serious damage.
