After Delhi Capitals’ agonising one-run defeat to Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in IPL 2026, the David Miller “no-single” debate dominated conversation—but it took time for the matter to find its way into the club’s own internal discussions. In the immediate aftermath, there was no mention of it during the television-style post-match chat or at the press conference. The subject only surfaced once the squad gathered in the dressing room.
The atmosphere inside was visibly bruised. Delhi still needed two runs from the final two deliveries, and despite a courageous late rally led by KL Rahul and then Miller, they fell just short. Miller, who had earlier been forced off the field with an injury before returning, produced a spirited finish attempt. Yet his late heroics quickly transformed into the focal point of criticism, with parts of the storyline painting him as the person who swung the result the wrong way.
The controversy revolved around a specific moment at the penultimate ball. Miller chose not to take a single, a decision that might have allowed Delhi to level the contest by bringing the chase down to the last delivery with the option of tying. Instead, the plan was to go for the finish on the final ball, but it did not come off as Delhi needed.
Axar Patel addresses the dressing-room aftermath
- Once the squad regrouped in the dressing room, captain Axar Patel raised the topic directly.
- He urged the group to reset mentally and move forward, stressing that the league season is long and a single result should not define the bigger picture.
- Axar also highlighted the role Miller played in keeping Delhi alive, pointing out that without Miller’s late hitting, the chase would likely have been out of reach long before the final over.
- In a franchise video shared later, Axar said that while everyone felt the sting of the loss, they could still find reasons to smile and begin again quickly.
- He added that the team’s next opportunity would come on the road, with a fresh start expected at Chennai.
“At the start of this season, I told you all to control emotions and stay calm in any situation. We’re sad—we feel sad—but we can still smile, it’s okay. It’s a long tournament. If he (Miller) didn’t hit those sixes, then you know we would not have been in the game. We’ll go [to] Chennai and start again. Keep smiling,” Axar said in the video released by the franchise.
Earlier, when asked about the narrow margin in the post-match exchange, Axar conceded that Delhi could have managed the chase with a sharper approach. He acknowledged that both sides had played good cricket and noted that in a contest decided by such fine margins, there are always moments that can be reworked—especially during a tight run chase.
“Yeah, obviously the way we are playing, I think both teams played a very good cricket. And yeah, I think, this type of close game, you can, you know, point out anything. So I think, yes, we played very good cricket. As I said earlier, in a close chase, in a close game, you can point out a lot of things. But I think in the chase, I think we could have played smarter,” Axar said.
Delhi Capitals now turn their attention to their next assignment, travelling to Chepauk for a match against Chennai Super Kings on April 11.
