Delhi Capitals beat Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets with four balls to spare in Indian Premier League Match 62, with Mitchell Starc’s 4 for 40 setting up the chase before KL Rahul’s 56 off 42 and Abishek Porel’s 51 off 31 drove DC to 197 for 5 in 19.2 overs.
The result kept DC’s strong late-season push rolling in Match 62 of 70, after they had already won Matches 43 and 55 in recent outings. With the league stage still ongoing, this result extends the race rather than deciding anything outright, and there is still plenty to come before the playoff picture is settled.
Rajasthan Royals posted 193 for 8 and did it on the back of three major contributions in the middle order. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued his outstanding tournament with a blistering 46 off 21 balls, striking five fours and three sixes. Dhruv Jurel then anchored with 53 off 40, while Riyan Parag changed gears dramatically with 51 off just 26, including five sixes.
Those innings gave RR repeated surges, but Delhi’s attack found enough wickets to stop the total from running beyond control. Starc was the standout, finishing with 4 for 40 in his four overs and removing key batters at important stages. Lungi Ngidi backed him superbly with 2 for 24 in four overs, while Madhav Tiwari’s 2 for 27 helped squeeze the lower order after RR had threatened to explode at the death.
RR’s innings had the shape of something even bigger when Sooryavanshi’s early assault put DC under immediate pressure. Jurel’s half-century provided stability through the middle overs, and Parag’s 51 from 26 threatened to tilt the match decisively. But the dismissals of Parag and Donovan Ferreira in quick succession, followed by tight work against the finishers, meant RR had to settle for 193 for 8 rather than push beyond 200.
Delhi’s reply was assertive from the outset. Abishek Porel struck 51 off 31 with seven fours and a six, giving the chase early momentum, while Rahul paced the pursuit with assurance for 56 off 42. Their work at the top ensured DC never fell badly behind the asking rate, even as Rajasthan kept taking wickets often enough to stay in the contest.
The chase turned on DC’s middle-order acceleration. Axar Patel blasted 34 off 18, landing two fours and two sixes to flip pressure back on the bowlers. Tristan Stubbs made only 4 off 6 and David Miller added 9 off 6, moments that briefly kept RR alive, especially with Jofra Archer returning 2 for 35 and Brijesh Sharma taking 2 for 44.
But the finishing blow came from Ashutosh Sharma, whose 18 off just 5 balls was decisive. He struck one four and two sixes, turning a tense finish into a controlled one as Delhi closed on 197 for 5 with four balls remaining. In a chase of 194, that late burst was the final match-turning moment.
For Rajasthan, Archer’s two wickets gave them hope, and Dasun Shanaka chipped in with 1 for 29 from three overs. Yash Raj Punja was relatively tidy with 0 for 29 in four overs, but Adam Milne’s 0 for 41 in 3.2 overs and the overall inability to contain Delhi’s hitters proved costly.
Key performers
Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals): 4/40 in 4 overs, Player of the Match
KL Rahul (Delhi Capitals): 56 off 42 balls
Abishek Porel (Delhi Capitals): 51 off 31 balls
Dhruv Jurel (Rajasthan Royals): 53 off 40 balls
Riyan Parag (Rajasthan Royals): 51 off 26 balls
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals): 46 off 21 balls
NerdSports Stat: Delhi Capitals chased 194 despite only one batter striking at above 200 in the chase — Ashutosh Sharma’s 18 off 5 — while Rajasthan had three separate batters score at 190-plus strike rates and still ended on the losing side.
Elsewhere in the IPL, Match 61 on the same day saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru win by 23 runs, while Match 60 had Kolkata Knight Riders winning by 29 runs. Next up in the league stage is Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, May 18, with Rajasthan Royals also due back on Tuesday, May 19 against Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals scheduled to meet Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, May 24.
Frequently Asked Questions
Delhi Capitals won the match by 5 wickets with 4 balls remaining.
Mitchell Starc was named Player of the Match for his 4 for 40 in 4 overs.
This was Match 62 of 70 in the Indian Premier League league stage, and the result keeps the playoff race alive with eight matches still to come.
KL Rahul top-scored with 56 off 42 balls.
The next match in the series is Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, May 18.
