Delhi’s Madhav Tiwari already seems to have a lot of variety in his bowling, says Chawla

Delhi Capitals kept their slim playoff hopes alive in the TATA IPL 2026 with a five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in a 194-run chase on Sunday night. Delhi’s victory has put Rajasthan Royals in a spot of bother as their hopes of reaching the play-offs has taken a big hit.

Australian spearhead Mitchell Starc took four for 40 but it was Madhav Tiwari who impressed one and all. Tiwari took two for 27 in his four fours to restrict Rajasthan Royals to a modest 193 for eight.

“Madhav Tiwari has been extremely impressive, not just in this game but in the previous match as well. For a youngster with limited first-class experience, he already seems to have a lot of variety in his bowling, but the key is having the confidence to execute those options at the right moments, and he’s doing that with remarkable ease,” said former India player Piyush Chawla on JioHotstar’s Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live.

“Even in Dharamshala, where bowlers were going for plenty, he smartly used his slower balls into the pitch and delivered an important spell. In this game again, just when Rajasthan Royals were building momentum, he picked up the crucial wicket of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and helped slow the scoring rate,” Chawla added.

Delhi Capitals pulled off a five-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday night. Pic: BCCI

In reply, Abhishek Porel (51) and KL Rahul (56) added 105 for the first wicket to put Delhi on the path of success. Chawla praised Porel’s positive intent in Capital’s run-chase.

“Abhishek Porel’s innings was extremely impressive because despite not getting too many opportunities this season, he came in with complete positive intent. What stood out was the way he ensured there was no pressure on KL Rahul at the other end. Whenever the ball was in his zone, he was willing to take his chances and play the attacking shots, which was very important in a chase of over 190. Considering how the first innings played out, that aggressive start made a big difference for Delhi Capitals,” he stated.

Boucher highlights Starc’s game-changing spell

Former South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher highlighted Mitchell Starc’s game-changing spell. “At one stage, Rajasthan Royals looked set for a total close to 230 after the kind of Powerplay they had. Mitchell Starc hadn’t quite found his rhythm early on, but when he came back, he completely changed the game with his variations in pace and execution under pressure. That over, where he picked up three wickets, shifted the momentum entirely and pulled Rajasthan back from what looked like a massive total. A few of the batters might feel they played their shots too early, but there’s no doubt that spell changed the complexion of the game and ultimately kept the target within Delhi Capitals’ reach.”

On the Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad match in the race to the playoffs, Chawla said: “Sunrisers Hyderabad have a slight edge going into this game, mainly because Jamie Overton’s injury is a significant setback for Chennai Super Kings. He was playing an important role for CSK in the middle overs with the ball and was also contributing valuable runs lower down the order. Replacing that kind of all-round impact won’t be easy. Spencer Johnson can strengthen the bowling, but he doesn’t offer the same batting depth, so it will be interesting to see whether CSK stick with the same combination or look at making changes for such an important game.”