Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel pointed to missed opportunities in the field and questioned his side’s execution during the powerplay after DC fell short in a high-scoring chase by Punjab Kings in Delhi.
Key takeaways
- Axar Patel criticised DC’s fielding for failing to hold key chances and said the team “deserved to lose.”
- He also questioned DC’s bowling, specifically adding that the powerplay delivery was not up to the mark.
- Punjab Kings chased down 265, completing the run chase by six wickets with seven balls remaining in a record chase.
- Axar said DC’s 264 was a strong total on a flat Arun Jaitley pitch, but poor timing in crucial moments hurt them.
- DC were held back by repeated issues, including drops and missed opportunities, as they suffered consecutive defeats and slipped to sixth place with three wins and four losses.
DC’s 264 not enough as Punjab chase sets a record
Delhi Capitals piled up 264 for 2, powered by a KL Rahul century, but still lost by six wickets with seven balls left as Punjab Kings produced a record IPL chase. During the chase, Karun Nair dropped Shreyas Iyer twice within two overs—first at 29 and again at 35—allowing the DC captain to build momentum and go on to an unbeaten 71 off 36 deliveries.
DC’s innings also came with catching lapses. In total, six catches were put down during the Punjab Kings chase: two each off Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer, plus one drop each involving Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly.
Axar’s blunt assessment of chances and powerplay bowling
After the match, Axar Patel said his team was repeating the same errors. He noted that on a wicket like that, DC needed to support the bowling attack and avoid giving away chances, adding that if they fail to do so, they should expect to lose. He then turned the spotlight to DC’s bowlers, saying their powerplay approach was not good enough.
Punjab Kings were particularly aggressive early on, smashing 116 runs in the powerplay, which was the second-highest team total ever in that phase of an IPL innings.
Axar summed up the reasons for the defeat by pointing to the combined impact of fast-bowling execution in the powerplay, overall bowling, fielding, and the chances that were not converted into wickets.
Strong total, costly moments as DC suffer consecutive defeats
While Axar believed DC’s 264 was “a very good score” on the Arun Jaitley surface, he felt the bigger problem was failing to seize the key phases of the chase and repeating the same mistakes. With the loss, DC have now dropped back-to-back matches and sit sixth in the points table, having recorded three wins and four defeats.
Axar reiterated that 267—quoted as 264 in the innings—was a strong enough target on that kind of pitch, but stressed that the match can swing on crucial moments. He said he made a similar point at the toss, suggesting that if DC had grabbed those turning points earlier in the season, earlier results could have gone their way, and they can still win future games. His message was clear: the team will review the areas that need improvement and focus on taking those moments when they arrive.
