Delhi Capitals held their nerve to seal a five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League in Delhi on Sunday night to stay alive in the race for the playoffs.
Set 194 to win, super sub Ashutosh Sharma came in at the death to hit an unbeaten 18 off just five deliveries as victory was sealed with four balls to spare.
Half centuries from Dhruv Jurel (53 off 40 balls) and Riyan Parag (51 off 26) had earlier put the Royals on course for a strong total, only for a Mitchell Starc-inspired collapse to leave them short at 193-8.
Having seized the initiative with the ball, the home side took that momentum into their chase, reaching 50 in exactly four overs.
That became 72-0 by the end of a seamless Power Play, as Abishek Porel and KL Rahul threatened to take the game away from those in pink.
Rahul brought the 100 up with his third maximum, launched down the ground, before Porel picked out Donovan Ferreira in the deep to depart for 51.
The Royals applied pressure, though, with Sahil Parakh falling cheaply to Jofra Archer before a becalmed Rahul chopped on.
And Archer had his second when Tristan Stubbs toe-ended a ramp shot that Yashasvi Jaiswal scurried in to gather.
But Axar Patel had other ideas, striking his side to within reach of a dramatic win only to lose partner David Miller at the start of the 19th over with 19 still needed.
Axar’s 18-ball 34 did the heavy lifting, with Ashutosh adding the final flourish.
Ashutosh Sharma dials 6️⃣ 📞 @DelhiCapitals dial in 2⃣ points ✅
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 17, 2026
They remain alive in the Race for the Playoffs 💙❤️
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/JwHkQQ1ayi #TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #DCvRR pic.twitter.com/g44IaiOCqr
Earlier, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (46 off 21) made a lightning start at the top of the Royals order, unleashing a boundary barrage in the Power Play.
The youngster’s fun ended when he plinked his lofted straight drive, giving Miller the chance to race around and take the catch.
Jurel took over the mantle, propelling the visitors beyond 100 inside the tenth over.
And he enjoyed ample support from Parag, who clubbed 23 in the 12th over off the hapless Mukesh Kumar, including a baseball hit straight back down the ground for six.
Parag reached his 50 off 23 balls but fell to the returning Starc straight after, finally holing out to his favourite wide long on region.
2⃣3⃣-run over 🤯
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 17, 2026
Relive Riyan Parag's clean striking ▶️ https://t.co/xVUTyruju7 #TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #DCvRR pic.twitter.com/Qsnk36e5V4
Ferreira met the same fate next ball, keeping the safe hands of Axar occupied to go for a golden duck, with Ravi Singh falling LBW to make it three in the over for the veteran Australian.
Jurel was starved of the strike as others fell around him, but belatedly reached 50 with a single to backward point before being pinned LBW by Lungi Ngidi as a promising innings fizzled out.
The brightest 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙍c of the night ✨
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 17, 2026
A lethal spell earns Mitchell Starc the Player of the Match award 🏅
Relive his spell ▶️ https://t.co/16S6Rk3Dq4 #TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #DCvRR pic.twitter.com/qJpRaYGRKz
DELHI CAPITALS: Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (capt), Mukesh Kumar, Madhav Tiwari, T Vijay, Mitchell Starc, Lungi Ngidi.
Impact subs: Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Vipraj Nigam, Pathum Nissanka, Karun Nair.
RAJASTHAN ROYALS: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (capt), Ravi Singh, Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Adam Milne, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja.
Impact subs: Dasun Shanaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Aman Rao Perala.