Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and chose to bowl first against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2026 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday. During the toss, Axar confirmed that young spinner Tripurana Vijay would make his IPL debut in the match.
Born on September 5, 2001, in Tekkali, Andhra Pradesh, Tripurana Vijay is a right-arm off-break bowler who has progressed through domestic cricket with consistent performances. The 24-year-old came into focus during the Ranji Trophy after taking 10 wickets in a match against Rajasthan. The performance attracted attention from IPL franchises. He has also performed well in white-ball cricket with his control in the middle overs.
His performances in domestic cricket led Delhi Capitals to sign him during the IPL 2026 mega auction as part of their spin-bowling plans for the season. So far in T20 cricket, Vijay has played 10 matches and taken 14 wickets at an average of 18.92. He also has an economy rate of 6.8.
Delhi Capitals will now hope the Andhra Pradesh spinner can carry his domestic form into the IPL as the tournament enters an important stage. With the playoff race tightening, Delhi Capitals decided to give Vijay an opportunity in an important game against Rajasthan Royals. The franchise has faced inconsistency in some bowling phases this season, and Vijay's inclusion gives Axar Patel another spin option for the middle overs.
RR also needs to win their remaining three games to enter the playoffs, and Archer said the tournament is still wide open for anyone to enter the last four stage. "Not just DC, but I think every team in the competition. It doesn't matter where they are in the table. Anybody can beat anybody. Didn't have GT losing on my radar last night either. And that kind of just shows that you can't take anyone for granted in this tournament."
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