Even before the first ball of IPL 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals set a headline-worthy marker. Captain Axar Patel won the toss and chose to bat against Punjab Kings on Saturday, extending DC’s long run of favourable decisions. It was their ninth straight toss win in the tournament, a streak that now matches the best in IPL history.
At a glance
- Match: Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2026
- Date/Venue: Saturday, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
- Captain’s call: Axar Patel won the toss and chose to bat
- Toss record: Ninth consecutive toss win for Delhi Capitals
- IPL benchmark: Only Sunrisers Hyderabad (2015-16) and Chennai Super Kings (2019) have previously reached nine straight
- Earlier streaks of eight: CSK (2018-19) and Rajasthan Royals (2023)
Delhi Capitals’ run of nine consecutive toss victories brings them level with the top mark seen in IPL play. Sunrisers Hyderabad achieved a similar stretch from 2015 to 2016, while Chennai Super Kings did it in 2019. Before this season’s entry, the next best figures belonged to CSK’s eight-toss run from 2018-19 and Rajasthan Royals’ eight straight wins in 2023.
Speaking at the toss, Axar stressed the importance of staying present rather than getting carried away by streaks or expectations. He said the key is continued hard work in training, improvement over time, and carrying the right habits into the dressing room and team culture. He also highlighted the need for the side to keep enjoying the game and maintaining togetherness.
Axar also hinted at how the decision shaped the mindset for the match. He said he discussed the plan briefly with Axar before the toss, with the captain indicating he would bat, which pleased the other party because it meant they would get an opportunity to bowl. Axar added that the team would stick with the same combination.
Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (C), KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar.
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (C), Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
