IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals’ strongest predicted XI against Delhi Capitals

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) return to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium to face the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Match 43 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday, May 1. The inaugural champions have a chance to go up to 14 points with a win, putting them a step closer to qualifying for the playoffs.

There have been moments where RR have been over reliant on their opening pair of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal to score big and provide them with a platform. However, in their most recent win over the Punjab Kings, they found runs from their lower-order, with Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey scoring unbeaten 52 and 31, respectively. 

In bowling, Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger continue to show their prowess with the new ball. The 19-year-old spinner Yash Punja also took two wickets in their previous game to put his name amongst RR’s highly-rated spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Bishnoi. 

Here is RR’s strongest predicted XI vs DC, Match 43, IPL 2026:

Top Order: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (WK)

The Royals’ top order is the envy of the other teams, thanks to their explosive opening duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old is currently his side’s highest run-scorer and third in the race for the Orange Cap, scoring 400 runs at a strike-rate of 238.09. 

Jaiswal, on the other hand, has 306 runs to his name at an average of 43.71, with Jurel scoring 248 runs with three half-centuries to his name. A bulk of RR’s runs come from these three batters, and that trend could continue to follow against DC on Friday.

Middle Order: Riyan Parag (C), Dasun Shanaka, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja

RR’s middle order has had moments of joy but is relatively inconsistent. One might argue that they have not received many opportunities to showcase their talent thanks to their high-scoring top order. 

Donovan Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja have played match-winning knocks in recent games, while Shubham Dubey scored at a strike-rate of 258.33 against the Punjab Kings. Captain Riyan Parag’s form, however, has remained a cause for concern, averaging just 14.62 after nine matches this season.

Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Brijesh Sharma, Nandre Burger, Yash Raj Punia

RR have one of the in-form bowlers in Jofra Archer. He is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in this season’s IPL with 14 scalps to his name at an economy rate of just 8.27.

Archer has been complemented well by Nandre Burger, who has nine wickets to his name, while Brijesh Sharma has seven victims under his belt. 

RR’s predicted playing XI vs DC in Match 43, IPL 2026:

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag (C), Dasun Shanaka, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Brijesh Sharma, Nandre Burger, Yash Raj Punia.

Impact Player: Shubham Dubey