Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took a swipe at Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel after the franchise suffered a defeat to Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday. The contest was played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, where Axar chose to bat first after winning the toss.
Ashwin argued that the conditions in Delhi had been affected by rain for days leading into the match, and that DC should have considered bowling. He pointed out that when there is overcast weather—or when a surface is kept covered because of wet spell—teams bowling first often benefit from the added swing, grip, or unpredictability that can come with such conditions.
Going deeper into the game, Ashwin also criticised Axar’s batting form. He described Axar’s IPL 2026 campaign as a “complete letdown,” adding that DC appeared to have misread the situation on the day.
Axar, retained by Delhi Capitals for ₹16.50 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, has featured in 10 matches this season. In that stretch, he has claimed nine wickets and made 33 runs.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “Axar looked fine (with the ball); his batting has been a complete letdown this year. And for the last two days, there has been rain in Delhi. The pitch was under covers. How can you bat? They handed the match to CSK. If Delhi had bowled first, they might have ended up winning.”
He further suggested that DC could have explored different match-ups, adding, “If you want impact, you can consider a left-hander like Abishek Porel. They missed a bit of a trick—plus even the toss wasn’t ideal for them. I think they made far too many mistakes. They are a very good team, with a strong squad and quality players, but they’ve found yet another reason to lose. Axar should speak to the curator, build a rapport, and find out about the wicket and the conditions.”
Delhi’s batting struggles at home continued as they faltered on a demanding surface and finished on a below-par total of 155 for seven against Chennai Super Kings. The pitch offered assistance to spinners, with occasional balls appearing to grip or hold up, and the home batters failed to make the conditions work in their favour.
Chennai then chased the target successfully, with Sanju Samson playing a key role by smashing 87 not out off 52 deliveries as CSK reached the finish line in 17.3 overs.
