Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop has heaped praise on the Delhi Capitals bowling group and on Mitchell Starc’s return to rhythm after the left-arm seamer delivered a decisive spell in Delhi’s seven-wicket victory over the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 on Friday night at Jaipur.
Bishop’s take on Starc’s comeback
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, Bishop admitted he had initial doubts about how Starc would look after a long layoff, but said those concerns quickly faded once the Australian began to strike.
“I had a question in my own mind: what sort of form will he come into this after that protracted break that he had,” Bishop said. In his view, the intensity of Starc’s work during the match was enough to answer those questions, keeping the Royals on the back foot for a large part of the innings.
Bishop also pointed out that Starc’s numbers could have been even more impressive, noting that the final over briefly went against Delhi’s control.
“But he’s brought some firepower with him. It was pleasing. The last over went for a few runs, otherwise the figures would have been a lot better,” Bishop added.
Starc’s impact and Delhi’s bowling approach
Starc, making his first appearance in IPL 2026 after recovering from injury, produced a three-wicket haul and played a central role in Delhi’s important win over the inaugural champions.
Bishop said the outcome reflected not just one bowler’s performance, but also the way Delhi’s pace attack functioned as a unit.
- Bishop felt Delhi benefited significantly from the pace-led dimension of their bowling plan.
- He suggested the squad’s overseas balance could give them a useful long-term structure in future match-ups.
- Starc’s spell, in Bishop’s assessment, was a key reason the Royals struggled for momentum.
Overseas balance and the chase that sealed it
Bishop highlighted the potential combination Delhi could build around overseas personnel. With Lungi Ngidi and Starc featuring together, he expected a clean fit of two overseas seam options alongside overseas batting resources.
“With Lungi [Ngidi] and Starc playing together in future matches, it will form a nice thing with two overseas batters and two overseas seam bowlers. I am glad to see Mitch come with what he has come,” Bishop noted.
Delhi then turned that bowling effort into a successful chase. The Capitals completed a record 226-run run chase—also their highest total in IPL history—to beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets.
- KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka provided a strong platform with a 110-run opening partnership.
- Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma finished the chase with five balls remaining.
Rajasthan, meanwhile, had set the target with a total of 225/6. Riyan Parag top-scored with 90, while Donovan Ferreira made 47 not out. Starc was the standout with three wickets as Delhi restricted the Royals to their final figure.
The result marked Delhi’s fourth win of the season, lifting them to sixth place on the points table, while Rajasthan remained fourth.
