Delhi Capitals Revamp Squad Ahead of IPL Match Against Rajasthan Royals

Delhi Capitals Make Key Changes for IPL Clash

In an effort to improve their performance this season, the Delhi Capitals (DC) have introduced three alterations to their lineup for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Friday (May 1). A significant change is the absence of David Miller, who has been replaced by Mitchell Starc, marking his first appearance in the playing XI this season. Additionally, Pathum Nissanka and Ashutosh Sharma have returned to the squad, taking the places of Miller, Dushmantha Chameera, and Sahil Parakh, as Axar Patel lost the toss. Riyan Parag, the RR captain, opted to bat first, surprising many with his decision.

Reason Behind David Miller's Absence

David Miller's exclusion from the match was a strategic decision made during the toss, as explained by Axar Patel. The DC captain noted that 19-year-old Sahil Parakh was sidelined due to a neck sprain. Parakh had made his debut in the previous match against RCB but unfortunately recorded a two-ball duck. Due to his injury, DC opted to include Nissanka as the opening partner for KL Rahul. This adjustment meant that Miller could not be accommodated in the lineup, as the team already had three overseas players: Tristan Stubbs, Starc, and Kyle Jamieson. Despite having Abhishek Porel and Prithvi Shaw available, the team decided to reinstate Nissanka for the opening role. Miller joined the Capitals prior to the 2026 season after being acquired for ₹2 crores in the auction. He has participated in all eight matches for DC thus far, accumulating 123 runs over four innings with an impressive average of 41.00 and a strike rate of 148.53.

On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals made a single change, bringing in Ravi Bishnoi to replace Yash Raj Punia. Shubham Dubey was also added to the playing XI, while Dasun Shanaka transitioned to the impact substitute list.

DC Playing XI: KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T NatarajanDC Impact Sub Nominations: David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Karun Nair, Abishek Porel, Auqib Nabi DarRR Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Brijesh SharmaRR Impact Sub Nominations: Adam Milne, Dasun Shanaka, Ravi Singh, Yash Raj Punja, Tushar Deshpande