Delhi Capitals have perhaps been the most consistent team in IPL 2025 so far.

Led by Axar Patel they were jolted by a dramatic loss at home in their last match against Mumbai Indians but will look to put their campaign back on track when they take on a faltering Rajasthan Royals at the Kotla in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The loss to Mumbai Indians saw them slip to second on the points table following a four-match winning streak.

In contrast, the Royals find themselves in a precarious position with just two wins from six matches, languishing at eighth. Their season has been marred by inconsistency.

The Royals lost their first two games, then won two and have now lost two more matches. Their top order has been found wanting and have struggled to find feet in the middle overs. They have the second-best Powerplay run-rate of 9.72 this season, behind Punjab Kings, but that drops to 7.86 in the middle overs.

They will have to counter Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam during that phase which could decide the contest. Kuldeep has bowled 18 overs in this phase and has gone at an economy of just 5.94, picking up nine wickets, the second most behind Noor Ahmad of Chennai Super Kings.

The Royals’ inconsistent batting has been their real problem. Sanju Samson has scored just one fifty so far, Riyan Parag has failed to convert the good starts and Nitish Rana has just had one innings of note. Only Yashasvi Jaiswal with two fifties in his last three games seems to have found some form.

The focus will be on Delhi’s Karun Nair, fresh off a prolific domestic season, who led their chase against Mumbai with a dazzling 89 off 40 balls in pursuit of 206 in their first game at the Kotla on Sunday. His assault on Jasprit Bumrah — 26 runs off nine balls — will remain the talking point of the season.

How the Capitals tackle Jofra Archer will also be important. KL Rahul has a great record against the fast bowler in the IPL: 89 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 151 without being dismissed.