Mitchell Starc didn’t just come back for Delhi Capitals on Friday night. He came back with intent, and it showed almost immediately. In his first IPL 2026 appearance after an injury layoff, the Australian left-armer picked up 3 for 40 as Delhi beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Jaipur, a result that gave the Capitals a badly needed surge at an important stage of the season.
For Delhi, the bigger story may be what Starc’s return means from here. He had missed the opening phase of the campaign while recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries suffered during the Big Bash season, and Cricket Australia only cleared him to rejoin the franchise after he proved his fitness. That made this comeback more than a routine selection call. It felt like a reset.
And the impact was immediate. Starc removed Yashasvi Jaiswal in his opening spell, then came back later to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja and Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag, finishing with figures that stood out even on a night dominated by big hitting. Rajasthan still managed 225 for 6, but Delhi’s camp clearly saw Starc’s spell as the kind of control and menace they had been missing.
Delhi captain Axar Patel didn’t hold back after the match. He called Starc “a legend of the game” and said the performance underlined exactly why the fast bowler is rated so highly, especially after spending three months out and then returning straight into a high-pressure contest on a batting-friendly surface. It was the sort of reaction teams usually reserve for players who shift the mood of a campaign, not just a single match.
The win itself was emphatic. Chasing 226, Delhi got there in 19.1 overs, with KL Rahul making 75 off 40 balls and Pathum Nissanka adding 62 off 33 in an opening stand that took much of the panic out of a huge pursuit. Rajasthan had earlier been lifted by Parag’s 90 off 50 and useful support from Dhruv Jurel and Donovan Ferreira, but their total still wasn’t enough on a night when Delhi’s chase barely blinked.
There’s a wider angle here too. Delhi’s official schedule shows they are heading into a crucial stretch with matches against Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata again. Getting Starc back before that run could change the look of their attack completely. One good spell doesn’t guarantee anything in the IPL, obviously. But for Delhi, this was the kind of return that can tilt belief inside a dressing room.
So yes, the numbers mattered. Three wickets. A win. A successful chase of 226. But the feeling around Starc’s return mattered just as much. After weeks of waiting, Delhi finally had their strike bowler back, and he looked sharp, hostile and very much in the mood to remind people what he can still do.
