Akshar Patel warned the other teams. “Let’s make Kotla our fort,” he said on the eve of Delhi Capitals’ first IPL 2026 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Capitals followed suit by comfortably defeating Mumbai Indians at home last week. Now, they face a struggling Gujarat Titans team who are hoping to complete a hat-trick of wins in the opening season.

Having won just one out of five at the Kotla last season, Delhi will aim to continue their strong start as they play all seven home matches in the capital this year.

However, the threat of rain is looming their way, as North India continues to feel the impact of western disturbances. Shubman Gill’s return The Titans are hamstrung by neck muscle spasms, but Delhi – who appear to be a well-oiled machine – will start as favorites against a Gujarat team that looks strong on paper but is being hampered by the poor form of several of their key players.

Delhi Capitals will take on Gujarat Titans on Wednesday, April 8 at 7:30 PM IST. JioHotstar will broadcast the match live in India, while Star Sports will telecast it on television.

Ringside View: DC vs GT

On the eve of the game in Delhi, evening rain gave both teams a chance to overcome their shortcomings. In the Gujarat Titans camp, all the attention was on their weak middle-order. Washington Sundar, who was tasked with strengthening the unit, conducted a 40-minute workout. Tested by the likes of Prasidh Krishna, Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore, the young all-rounder gradually found his rhythm. After taking his time to settle down, Sundar began to strike the ball with pace, sending balls into the stands – something the Titans will be hoping he can repeat in Wednesday’s match.

Next came their captain Shubman Gill, who missed the game against Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad – where their middle order collapsed after a strong start in an unsuccessful chase of 211.

Gill entered the net session with ease, arriving minutes after his opening partner Sai Sudarshan confirmed that the captain would be fit to play. Once he got his timing right, Gill sent a few balls tumbling into the stands. As is typical of India’s ODI and Test captain, there was nothing extraordinary – just precise timing and brilliant strokeplay, which put the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Gurnoor Brar under pressure.

Rahul Tewatia, who has been looking out of form, also spent time in the nets as Gujarat look desperate to stabilize their middle order.

On the other side of the main strip, KL Rahul was the focal point. Following the routine, wicketkeeper-batsman Pathum went in with Nissanka, but it was Rahul who dominated the session, clearly eager to make a significant contribution after two consecutive failures (0 and 1). While the Sri Lankan openers looked in great form, Rahul looked sharp, although at times he struggled with the pace of Auqib Nabi.

Nitish Rana, brought in as a dependable presence at No. 3, also spent time in the middle, taking throwdowns near the boundary in a specially curated session.

Team News: DC vs GT

Delhi Capitals are unlikely to make any changes to their winning combination. Mitchell Starc is still in Australia And with the early season momentum firmly in their favour, they are expected to build on the work they have done so far.

Bowling coach Munaf Patel echoed this sentiment, while also indicating that Sameer Rizvi will remain an impact player despite consistent match-winning performances with the bat. He did not rule out the possibility of including an additional bowling option in Ashutosh Sharma or Nabi if the situation demanded, highlighting the team’s flexibility.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans are set to make a straightforward change, with Gill returning in place of youngster Kumar Kushagra. They may also consider bringing in Jason Holder in place of Kagiso Rabada to strengthen the lower middle order, which is lacking confidence at the moment.

They will also be keen to see Rashid Khan regain his rhythm with the ball after a slow start to the season. Express Their pace attack, featuring Ashok Sharma, has the potential to trouble Delhi’s inconsistent top order.

Delhi pitch and weather conditions

The pitch used for the game against Mumbai Indians last Saturday afternoon was helping the bowlers. On the eve of this match, there was a light green color on the surface, which suggests that the bowlers may once again get some help.

That said, Delhi continues to be one of the high-scoring venues, especially in the evening matches.

While it rained overnight in the capital, the forecast is more favorable during match hours. It may rain once or twice in the afternoon, but full play is expected on Wednesday.

Estimated Playing XI and Impact Subs

Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (captain), Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar.

Impact Sub: Sameer Rizvi

Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj.

Effect Sub: Prasad Krishna

See the press: what they said

Sai Sudarshan on GT’s poor middle order: “If one of the top three batsmen plays for a long time, it is always a good thing for the team. We believe in our middle order. This is the team that played last year and we qualified. So it is just two games and I and the entire team are confident that our middle order will win the game.”

On Mitchell Starc’s absence, DC bowling coach Munaf Patel said, “We have won two matches, so his absence has not been felt so far. But if the results are not in our favor then questions will be raised. Starc is one of the best bowlers in the world. In the IPL, only a player like Jasprit Bumrah can be compared to him. He brings pace, swing and experience. We are keeping a close eye on his fitness as he is very important for us.” Are.”

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