IPL 2026, DC vs SRH Today Match: Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and elected to bowl first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in match 31 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. DC made one change to their lineup, bringing in Nitish Rana in place of Aujib Nabi. SRH also made a change, with Harsh Dubey returning to the playing XI.
Axar, who is also playing his 100th match for the franchise, said the decision was influenced by pitch conditions and team balance. He added that team selection was based on conditions and maintaining balance within a large squad.
Meanwhile, SRH skipper Ishan Kishan said the surface looked different compared to previous matches at the venue and stressed the importance of execution and mindset, particularly among the younger bowlers.
Both teams are coming off victories in their previous outings. Hyderabad defeated Chennai Super Kings by 10 runs, while Delhi beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets.
Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals:
Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), David Miller, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, Lungi Ngidi.
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (c), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora (wk), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivang Kumar, Harsh Dubey, Sakib Hussain, Eshan Malinga.
Impact Substitutes:
Delhi Capitals Impact subs: Karun Nair, Dushmantha Chameera, Ashutosh Sharma, Tripurana Vijay, Auqib Nabi
Sunrisers Hyderabad Impact subs: Smaran Ravichandran, Praful Hinge, Liam Livingstone, Dilshan Madushanka, Harshal Patel
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has offered good batting conditions so far this season, with two of the three matches won by teams batting first. There is little grass on the surface, with a few visible cracks, but it remains hard and conducive for stroke play. Former players Eoin Morgan and Pommie Mbangwa noted that the pitch is likely to be a high-scoring one, making it tough for bowlers. While chasing could offer an advantage, the surface is expected to remain a batter-friendly track throughout.
