Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh has taken a hard line on the Delhi Capitals’ decision-making, questioning the team’s choice to bench David Miller for a second straight IPL 2026 match. The criticism came after the Axar Patel-led side backed Pathum Nissanka for the game against Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
Nissanka, despite finding form in the previous outing versus the Rajasthan Royals with a half-century, struggled to make an impact against CSK. He departed after scoring just 19, as Delhi’s top order failed to provide the momentum they would have wanted.
Quick facts
- Dodda Ganesh criticised Delhi Capitals’ management for dropping David Miller for the second consecutive IPL 2026 match.
- Delhi chose Pathum Nissanka over Miller for the CSK game at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
- Nissanka scored 19 against CSK after a half-century versus Rajasthan Royals in the previous match.
- Axar Patel won the toss and elected to bat first.
- Delhi slipped to 69/5 in the 11th over.
- Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein shared three wickets between them.
- Tristan Stubbs (38) and Sameer Rizvi (40* off the stand) added 65 for the sixth wicket.
- Anshul Kamboj bowled the final over for 20 runs, helping Delhi cross 150.
- Ashutosh Sharma made 14 from five balls, while Delhi brought in Rizvi as the impact player.
Ganesh’s main point was that Delhi had plenty of Indian batting options available to accommodate Miller in the XI. He suggested that Prithvi Shaw, Nitish Rana, or Abishek Porel could have opened the innings alongside KL Rahul, allowing Miller to be placed in the middle order instead of being left out.
The former speedster was blunt in his assessment, saying the Capitals do not appear to be operating like a serious unit and arguing that the logic behind Miller’s spot on the bench does not add up. In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Ganesh called out the decision to use Nissanka at the top while dropping Miller despite the presence of multiple Indian batting choices.
The Axar decision and the CSK bowling surge
Against CSK, Axar Patel won the toss and chose to bat first, but the plan unraveled quickly. Delhi were reduced to 69/5 by the 11th over, with the pitch offering help to the spin attack.
Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein were central to the collapse, combining to take three wickets in that spell. With the innings in trouble, Delhi needed a rescue act from the lower-middle order.
That recovery came through a partnership between Tristan Stubbs and Sameer Rizvi. The pair stitched together a 65-run stand for the sixth wicket, lifting the total to a respectable end position after 20 overs.
Stubbs struck 38, while Rizvi finished unbeaten on 40, providing the stability Delhi required after the early wickets. For CSK, Noor Ahmad led the bowling impact, finishing with figures of 2/22 in three overs.
Delhi’s late surge and the impact-player call
Delhi managed to move beyond the 150-run mark, helped by 20 runs in the final over bowled by Anshul Kamboj. Ashutosh Sharma also contributed late, striking a quick 14 off five balls to give the home side something extra to defend.
Even so, Delhi’s bowling options were slightly reduced as the management decided to bring Sameer Rizvi into the XI as the impact player, leaving them with one less regular bowling option for the CSK chase.
