Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh has hit out at Delhi Capitals for what he called a shocking call in their IPL 2026 encounter against Chennai Super Kings on Friday. The criticism came after Delhi captain Axar Patel chose to bat first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, only for the Capitals to buckle under pressure and lose wickets in a rapid collapse.
Delhi slipped to 69 for the loss of five by the close of the 11th over. However, Sameer Rizvi steadied the chase inside the innings with an unbeaten 40, while Tristan Stubbs made 38, as the pair stitched together a vital 65-run partnership to lift the total to a more competitive 155 for 7.
Ganesh then took to X to target both Axar and the DC management over their selection choices. He questioned why players he considered to be immediate-impact options—Prithvi Shaw, Abishek Porel, and David Miller—were left out, and he suggested the team’s approach has looked far from professional so far.
“There’s so much Indian batting talent available in Delhi’s camp. They can so easily open with Shaw/Rana/Porel along with KL, and have Miller in the middle order. Instead, the geniuses play Nissanka at the top and drop Miller. Tell me, how can this be a serious cricket team?” Ganesh wrote on X.
DC’s free fall began early with Pathum Nissanka’s dismissal. He failed to get enough elevation off the slower ball from left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary, and was unable to clear the mid-on fielder.
Nissanka, who scored 19 off 15 deliveries, and KL Rahul, who made 12 off 13, both started brightly with boundaries but could not build on their early momentum. After Nissanka’s departure, Rahul attempted an inside-out shot against left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, but he couldn’t reach the ball on the move and ended up caught by the opposition captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Delhi struggled to make progress during the powerplay, managing only 37 for two. Hosein bowled a significant share of the overs, and it was his spell that ultimately accounted for Rahul’s wicket.
Axar Patel, despite having a prime platform to change the rhythm, fell to a soft dismissal. Gurjapneet Singh’s delivery appeared to come straight onto the bat, but it stopped on Axar, who was then offered up a catch to the cover fielder. From there, the Capitals were left reeling at 69 for five in 11 overs.
Stubbs and Rizvi tried to swing the momentum back in the second half of the innings. Stubbs contributed 38 off 31, while Rizvi remained unbeaten on 40 off 24, striking a flurry of sixes during their 65-run stand. Still, the damage done in the opening phase of the innings proved too much to recover from, and Delhi finished with an underwhelming total of 155 for 7.
