Will Mitchell Starc make the final XI in place of injured Lungi Ngidi in DC's today's game against RCB

Delhi Capitals are set to host the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in match number 39 of IPL 2026, marking their second meeting this season. DC came out on top in their previous encounter in match 26, defeating RCB by six wickets. This time, the Rajat Patidar-led side will be eager to settle the score at Virat Kohli’s home ground.

However, Delhi will be without the services of their key South African pacer Lungi Ngidi, who suffered a serious injury during DC’s clash against PBKS on Saturday. The 30-year-old endured a frightening moment on the field, ruling him out of this fixture.

Ngidi’s absence was felt in that high-scoring encounter, where DC missed his effective slower yorkers in what turned out to be a run-fest that they eventually lost. This raises a crucial question: who will replace the South African pacer in today’s match? Could it be Mitchell Starc, who has recently joined the DC squad?

Will Mitchell Starc replace Lungi Ngidi in today's game?

As mentioned earlier, the 36-year-old Australian pacer has recently been added to Delhi Capitals’ roster. A bowler of his caliber is expected to walk straight into the playing XI—but only once he becomes available. It is important to note that Starc is set to join the squad at the start of May.

Given this timeline, Starc will not be available for tonight’s game and therefore will not be replacing Ngidi.

This means DC will likely turn to either Dushmantha Chameera or Kyle Jamieson as a like-for-like replacement for the injured pacer.

What happened during DC vs PBKS

It was a high-scoring thriller when DC hosted PBKS at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. KL Rahul stole the show with a sensational innings, becoming the first Indian to score 150+ in the IPL, smashing an unbeaten 152. His knock powered Delhi to their highest-ever IPL total of 265 runs.

However, the match took a concerning turn during DC’s bowling innings. Ngidi suffered a severe injury while attempting to take a catch of Priyansh Arya, hitting his head hard on the unforgiving surface of the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

The incident was serious enough to require an ambulance on the field—an extremely rare sight in cricket.
Fortunately, Ngidi was later discharged from the hospital and is now recovering well. However, he remains unavailable for selection in today’s game