Delhi Capitals' (DC) unbeaten run in the 2025 IPL edition ended in their last home game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium when they faced Mumbai Indians.
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They are back at the venue again as they take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 16, Wednesday. The Royals make the trip after having suffered a home defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Jaipur during the weekend.
The Sporting News tells you everything you need to know about the pitch report and key player matchups for the clash in Delhi.
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DC vs RR pitch report - Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi
The pitch at Delhi has largely been flat and high-scoring recently with the strategy likely to opt to bat first, post a score over 200, and win the match.
That has been the trend in the last seven matches (IPL and internationals).
However, we did see some cracks on the pitch used for the DC vs MI game, which could help spinners come into play if the same surface is used.
Average first innings score (last 7 matches): 229
The venue also aids in run-scoring due to the short boundaries which the batters can clear quite easily.
Boundary dimensions (from Willingdon End): Straight - 72m, Square - 60m & 66m, Third man & Fine leg - 55m & 59m, Deep mid-wicket & Deep cover - 70m & 75m
Will the team batting first score 200+ runs in DC vs RR? PREDICT OVER/UNDER HERE
DC vs RR: Will the pitch in Delhi favour batters in today's match?
Yes, the pitches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi have heavily been on the side of the batters since the start of the 2024 IPL season. The short boundaries further tilt conditions in the batters’ favour.
In the last seven games (India vs Bangladesh T20I and seven IPL games), teams have posted a score of over 200 in each of the games, and have won all their matches batting first as well.
MORE: Which are the top 10 highest totals in Indian Premier League history?
DC vs RR: Will the pitch in Delhi favour bowlers in today's match?
While the games in Delhi have been high-scoring and not in favour of the bowlers, they have not gone wicketless.
Death over specialists have had some success. The batting team tends to give away easy wickets in the final overs as they look to slog while setting a target.
PREDICT NOW: How many wickets will fall in the second innings of DC vs RR? Make your prediction now!
Average wickets in: 1st innings - 5.85 and 2nd innings - 9.00
Bowlers in the second innings have also benefitted due to the scoreboard pressure on the batting team, particularly when chasing a big target. This forces them to play risky shots, leading to wickets.
DC vs RR: Batters vs bowlers to watch out for - Player matchups
Apart from second-innings bowlers (provided it is a big target) especially wrist-spinners such as Kuldeep Yadav and Wanindu Hasaranga, here are some matchups that could come into play:
Jake Fraser-McGurk averages just 17.6 (150 balls) against right-arm pace in overs 1-4 in all T20s since 2024. [Jofra Archer threat]
Abhishek Porel averages just 20.3 and strikes at 113 (54 balls) against right-arm pace in overs 1-4 in all T20s since 2024. [Jofra Archer threat]
Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Mitchell Starc in powerplay: The RR batter has improved his numbers against left-arm pace but the Aussie ace could still be a threat as they continue the rivalry from BGT.
RR middle order vs Kuldeep Yadav & Vipram Nigam (wrist spin threat):
Batters vs Wrist spin in overs 7-15 (in all T20s since 2023)
- Dhruv Jurel: 6.8 Avg and 79 SR
- Nitish Rana: 21.6 Avg and 125.6 SR
- Shimron Hetmyer: 17.6 Avg and 109 SR
Likely Death over bowlers (RR): Jofra Archer (18th), Sandeep Sharma (20th), Tushar Deshpande (19th)
Likely Death over bowlers (DC): Mitchell Starc (18th), Mohit Sharma (20th), Mukesh Kumar (19th)