Delhi Capitals head into their IPL 2026 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad with cautious optimism, following a thrilling last-ball win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The victory has kept them firmly in the mid-table race, but with the tournament entering a crucial phase, consistency remains their biggest challenge. A win on Tuesday could push the Delhi Capitals into the top four. Head coach Hemang Badani was clear in his assessment of the opposition. Sunrisers Hyderabad, he noted, are a side built on aggressive, high-impact cricket. “They look to go hard and play with intent,” Badani said. “But that approach also carries high risk.”

It’s a risk DC will look to exploit, particularly with their bowling unit, which Badani believes is among the strongest in the competition. The contest, on paper, appears to be a classic face-off between SRH’s attacking batters and DC’s disciplined bowlers. However, there’s more depth to SRH than just their batting firepower. Their young pace attack has been instrumental in keeping them competitive, stepping up in both powerplay and death overs. This balance has injected fresh energy into their campaign, especially at home.

For Delhi, the bigger concern lies with their own batting inconsistency. While they have managed to deliver in crunch moments, their campaign has lacked sustained momentum. After two early wins, they stumbled with back-to-back defeats before bouncing back again. Skipper Axar Patel has relied on collective contributions rather than individual brilliance, a strategy that has kept them afloat.

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Their recent win also highlighted the value of experience, with David Miller once again proving why he is regarded as one of the best finishers in T20 cricket.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, will look to capitalise on home advantage, having won their last two matches in Hyderabad. Historically, the rivalry has been closely contested, with SRH holding a narrow 13-12 edge. With both teams seeking consistency and momentum, this encounter promises to be a tightly contested battle where execution under pressure could make all the difference.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Pat Cummins has joined the squad, but he won’t be available for the game. Meanwhile, Gerald Coetzee has come in as a replacement for David Payne, who has been ruled out of the season. In an eight-ball face-off in T20s, Axar Patel has dismissed Abhishek Sharma twice. Don’t be surprised if the DC skipper comes into operation in the powerplay.

Probable XII: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Reddy, Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Liam Livingstone/Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Praful Hinge, Sakib Hussain, Ehsan Malinga

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Delhi Capitals also have positive news, with Axar declared fit after retiring hurt in the previous match due to cramps. His availability strengthens both their bowling and leadership.

However, DC will be wary of Sameer Rizvi’s struggles against left-arm spin. Despite impactful performances this season, Rizvi has managed only 47 runs off 46 balls against that style. SRH could look to exploit this weakness by introducing spin early, especially during the middle overs, to build pressure and disrupt DC’s batting rhythm.

Probable XII: KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel, Auqib Nabi, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan