Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal posted an emotional message on social media after his franchise suffered a crushing defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in New Delhi on Monday. Josh Hazlewood struck four wickets and Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed three as Delhi were bowled out for a mere 75. In response, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal steered RCB home with ease, handing the visitors a nine-wicket victory. The loss marked Delhi’s second defeat on the trot, coming just after Punjab Kings chased down a record 265-run target in a separate match. Jindal wrote on X, “Stay together more than ever now @DelhiCapitals – really very tough to take but we must keep fighting and keep believing.”
Key takeaways
- Delhi Capitals were dismissed for 75 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in New Delhi on Monday.
- Josh Hazlewood finished with four wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took three for RCB.
- Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal led the run chase as RCB won by nine wickets.
- The defeat was DC’s second consecutive loss after their prior match against Punjab Kings.
- Parth Jindal urged the group to stay united and keep believing following the setback.
How Delhi Capitals collapsed
Axar Patel had little to offer when Delhi Capitals failed to protect a 264-run total against Punjab Kings on Saturday, and then appeared even more disoriented as they were reduced to 75 against RCB within the next 48 hours. In the match versus Bengaluru, Delhi’s batting crumbled early, sliding to 9 for 6 during the Powerplay.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced meaningful swing, while Hazlewood’s use of short-ball lengths proved extremely effective. The combination left Delhi with very few scoring opportunities, and the resulting total became the lowest score of the season. With the chase straightforward from there, RCB cruised to the nine-wicket win.
Post-match reactions and what Axar said
At the post-match presentation, Axar Patel admitted he was unsure how things spiralled so quickly. “Even I don’t know what happened. That’s why they say you have to be on your toes in cricket. We have to move on from this match,” he said.
Axar also pointed to how earlier moments in the tournament had disrupted Delhi’s momentum. He referenced the incident where David Miller declined a single during Delhi’s one-run defeat to Gujarat Titans, and he added that Karun Nair dropping chances against Punjab Kings only compounded the situation.
“From today’s point of view, you can say it did affect, but you can look back, if the catches were taken (Nair) or had we taken the single against GT, then momentum would have been with us. The game is such that there is no room for ifs and buts. You have to be positive, you had a bad day and take the positives from the last 5-6 games,” Axar said.
Despite the dramatic nature of Delhi’s collapse, the skipper rejected the idea that there had been an exaggerated amount of movement to help the opposition. He noted that world-class bowlers can generate swing at any venue, and stressed that outcomes might have differed if Delhi’s top order had played their role better.
“I wasn’t surprised, they are world class bowlers, they swing it every ground, but if our openers or top order had played them out then the result might have been different,” Axar concluded.
