Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel heaped praise on Mitchell Starc after the left-arm quick made an immediate impact in IPL 2026. Starc struck three times in his opening appearance as Delhi beat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets, taking the match away from the Royals early and then backing it up with further strikes later on. Returning after nearly three months on the sidelines due to shoulder and elbow injuries, Starc dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal in his first over, jolting Rajasthan and putting them under pressure from the outset. In the 17th over, he added to his tally by removing Ravindra Jadeja and Riyan Parag, before finishing with impressive figures of 3/40.
Patel’s reaction after the win summed up the atmosphere around Starc’s return. Speaking in the post-match conference, he said Starc’s bowling was exactly why he is considered a legend of the game, adding that a player who returns after time away and produces a performance of that quality—on a wicket like this—shows how significant he is. Patel also expressed his happiness at Starc being back and demonstrating to everyone why he remains such a devastating bowler.
Match: Rajasthan set 225/6, Delhi chase it down
- Rajasthan’s innings began badly when they were reduced to 12/2, but Riyan Parag steadied the innings with a knock of 90 off 50.
- Parag then combined with Dhruv Jurel for a key 102-run partnership, with Jurel contributing 42, to lift the Royals.
- Rajasthan ultimately reached 225/6, a total of 225 on a pitch that offered batting assistance.
- Delhi’s chase was led by KL Rahul, who anchored the innings with 75 off 40 balls.
- Pathum Nissanka provided a rapid start, striking 62 off 33 to help Delhi establish early control.
- Nissanka and Rahul put on 110 runs for the opening wicket, ensuring the chase stayed firmly in Delhi’s favour.
- Nitish Rana added 33 off 17, keeping the scoreboard moving without any major hiccups.
- A smooth finish followed as Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs remained unbeaten together, taking Delhi home with five balls to spare.
Delhi completed the run chase of 226 successfully, winning by seven wickets at Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The result also meant they delivered a second consecutive successful 225-plus chase at the venue within the space of a week.
