David Miller has become a talking point after Delhi Capitals came up agonisingly short, losing to Gujarat Titans by a single run in an IPL 2026 match on Wednesday. The defeat has sparked debate online, with a section of supporters and commentators pointing to Miller’s call to deny Kuldeep Yadav a strike on the penultimate delivery of the game. Others, however, argue that the bigger story is how DC stayed in the contest—largely because Miller struck two decisive sixes during the 19th over bowled by Mohammed Siraj, a burst that helped Delhi keep their chase alive.
Axar Patel, speaking to his teammates in the dressing room after the match, strongly backed Miller and framed the discussion in terms of impact. The Delhi captain said the side would not have reached a position where they could plausibly win if Miller had not accelerated in the closing overs, insisting there was little basis for singling him out for the “no single” decision.
- Axar reminded the group that early in the season he had asked everyone to manage emotions and remain calm in every situation, even when the result hurts.
- He then underlined that the chase would never have been close if Miller had not struck the sixes in the last stretch, meaning DC’s opportunities in the final overs depended on that momentum.
- With that context, Axar argued that there was no reason to blame Miller for not taking a single on the penultimate ball.
- He concluded by encouraging the squad to move forward, noting it is a long tournament and that the team would regroup and start again in the next assignment.
“At the start of this season, I told you all to control emotions and stay calm in any situation. We are all sad, we are all feeling sad, but we can still smile—it’s okay. It’s a long tournament. If he (Miller) didn’t hit those sixes, then you know we would not have been in the game. We’ll go [to] Chennai and start again. Keep smiling,” Axar said inside the DC dressing room.
Later, at the post-match presentation, Axar acknowledged that Delhi will need to be sharper in moments that swing tight contests. He said both teams produced high-quality cricket, but in a close chase there are often multiple fine margins that can be improved upon.
“Yeah, obviously the way we are playing, I think both teams played a very good, a very good cricket. And yeah, I think, this type of close game, you can, you know, point out anything. So I think, yes, we played very good cricket. As I said earlier, in a close chase, in a close game, you can point out a lot of things. But I think in the chase, I think we could have played smarter,” Axar added.
Delhi Capitals will now shift their focus to their next fixture against Chennai Super Kings, scheduled for April 11 at Chepauk.
