NEW DELHI: A marquee battle is set to headline Friday's IPL 2026 clash as Mitchell Starc makes his season debut for the Delhi Capitals, setting up a mouth-watering contest against teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi when they face the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.
RR skipper Riyan Parag won the toss and opted to bat first at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, pointing to surface conditions as a key factor.
Parag on the toss decision: "We're going to bat first. I think it's not the usual Jaipur wicket. It's a bit dry; we noticed that yesterday and the pitch played a little faster the other day. So hopefully it gets a little slow in the back end, so that's why we're batting first."
Reflecting on the win against Punjab Kings, Parag added: "I think the middle order and lower order finished it like the way they did and the openers as usual started really brilliantly. But as a collective team effort, chasing down 220 always helps. Everyone's stepping up. That has been the motto, like, as I was saying, we haven't been playing proper and complete cricket for 40 overs. Hopefully we can narrow it down as the tournament reaches the business end. Another show today and we can rest for a few days."
Parag confirmed two changes: "Bishnoi comes back in and Shubham is into the main team."
Starc returns as DC ring changes
The bigger headline, however, came from the DC camp, with Starc finally featuring this season, adding firepower to their pace attack. His duel with Sooryavanshi at the top is expected to set the tone early.
DC captain Axar Patel confirmed three changes in the XI as the side looks for a turnaround in a tightening playoff race.
Axar on team changes: "Starc is playing, Chameera isn't playing. Pathum is playing, which means David Miller sits out. Ashok Sharma is there, so there are three changes. We have three changes, the wicket looks good and we're happy to chase."
On the team's mindset, Axar said: "It's important to return to basics. You need to stay in the present to turn things around, focus on the positives. Attitude and body language are very important."
With both teams making tweaks and chasing consistency, the encounter carries added significance. But the early exchanges promise the biggest thrill — Starc steaming in with pace and precision, and Sooryavanshi ready to counterattack in what could define the contest.
RR vs DC Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals XI: KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan
Rajasthan Royals XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma
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