Delhi Capitals’ struggles in IPL 2026 deepened further on Tuesday as the Axar Patel-led side suffered another loss, going down to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Delhi chose to bat first and could only reach 155/7 in their 20 overs, a total that proved insufficient as CSK successfully chased the target to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Delhi’s batting let-down
- After being put in, Delhi managed 155/7 across 20 overs.
- The hosts stumbled early, losing their first five wickets with the team score on 69.
- Delhi’s recovery was powered by a 65-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Tristan Stubbs and Sameer Rizvi.
- Despite that stand, the overall total did not give Delhi enough leverage in the chase.
CSK ultimately got over the line thanks to a standout finishing display from Sanju Samson, ensuring the result went in Chennai’s favour and keeping their route to the playoffs open. After the match, Axar Patel was direct in pointing to batting as the main reason behind the defeat.
Axar Patel’s assessment
Axar said the pitch conditions in the first innings suggested 155 could be competitive, but Delhi’s inability to find enough solid batting time hurt them. He also noted that Delhi are operating with eight batters and believed they were short by roughly 10–15 runs. Axar added that while the track appeared to improve slightly in the second innings, the key issue was that Delhi did not manage to settle with a batter who could bat through the innings.
He further explained that when batters get set, the wicket can feel less difficult, but for new batters the length ball remained awkward and the ball was holding up. Axar highlighted that Samson’s finish became the defining factor, implying that Delhi’s failure to establish set batters played a decisive role in the outcome.
Sanju Samson’s finish; Kuldeep’s absence from impact
The match also underscored how different roles can look on certain surfaces. On a wicket where CSK’s spinners Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein were able to extract movement and grip, Kuldeep Yadav struggled to make an impact. He conceded 34 runs in his three overs and did not take a wicket, which meant Delhi had fewer breakthroughs to slow down CSK at the crucial stages.
Axar acknowledged the contrast as part of his post-match comments, saying the only positive for Delhi was the way they batted late after losing five wickets—highlighting the strong finish they produced. He also said he missed his bowling partner, Kuldeep Yadav, during the spell when wickets were needed.
Playoff picture and next assignment
Even with the defeat, Delhi are still technically in the race for qualification. However, their margin for error has narrowed sharply. The franchise sits seventh in the points table with 8 points from 10 matches, and Axar stressed that Delhi need to win all of their remaining fixtures to keep any realistic chance alive.
Delhi’s next match will be against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, May 8.
