Saturday’s Arun Jaitley Stadium once again proved its worth as a batting-friendly surface, with 429 runs piling up in 38.5 overs. Just two days later, the neighbouring wicket prepared for the Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru clash produced a very different story, as swing and pace turned the opening phase into a near collapse for the Capitals.
Quick facts
- Arun Jaitley Stadium saw 429 runs in 38.5 overs on Saturday.
- In the adjacent match wicket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood took three wickets each with the new ball.
- Delhi Capitals were reduced to 8 for 6 and never recovered, finishing on a target of 76 runs for RCB.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down 76 in 39 balls, winning by nine wickets.
- Delhi suffered their third consecutive defeat and have won only once in their last six games.
- Irfan Pathan questioned Delhi’s decision to exclude Prithvi Shaw and Abhishek Porel from the starting XI.
- Pathum Nissanka was signed last December and scored 147 runs in seven IPL 2026 matches.
- Management backed 18-year-old Sahil Parakh for the role; Parakh faced two balls before being bowled by Bhuvneshwar.
- Abhishek Porel later appeared as an Impact Sub, top-scoring with 30 and sharing a 43-run stand with David Miller.
On Monday, the home side were set upon early as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood extracted movement and bounce straight away. The pair struck with the new ball to claim three wickets apiece, leaving Delhi reeling at 8 for six and effectively ending their momentum before it could even begin.
From there, Delhi never managed to rebuild. Their innings folded into a modest total, setting Royal Challengers Bengaluru a target of only 76. The chase was completed comfortably as RCB reached the required runs with 39 balls remaining, sealing a nine-wicket victory.
Pathan questions Shaw and Porel’s absence
With criticism beginning to gather, former India batter Irfan Pathan took aim at Delhi’s batting strategy, specifically the choice not to include Prithvi Shaw and Abhishek Porel in the starting XI. After the defeat, Pathan posted that they had discussed Shaw and Porel during their pre-show and questioned the thinking behind leaving one of them out.
Pathan’s remarks came after Delhi slipped into the lower half of the points table following their loss. It was also Delhi’s third straight defeat this season, and their record in recent outings reads one win across their last six matches.
There were also wider questions around Delhi’s selection approach. Delhi had signed Pathum Nissanka at the auction last December, following an impressive stretch of T20 cricket in 2025 where he averaged 34.18 while striking at 158. That form carried into 2026 as well, with a century against Australia in the T20 World Cup helping Delhi justify backing him for the opening slot alongside KL Rahul.
Nissanka’s starts, but no big scores
Nissanka did begin the IPL 2026 season quickly, but those early accelerations did not translate into large scores. In seven matches, he managed 147 runs, leaving Delhi to consider whether the top-order balance needed a tweak heading into the game against RCB.
With Delhi expected to make changes by replacing Nissanka in the match, speculation swirled around who would join the lineup at the top. Many supporters, including Pathan, believed either Shaw or Porel would offer a more natural fit as a top-order batter.
However, the franchise opted for 18-year-old Sahil Parakh. Delhi’s director of cricket Venugopal Rao had spoken highly of the youngster before the season, even expressing optimism that Parakh could earn a future call-up for India. That confidence was tested immediately, though—Parakh’s debut lasted just two balls as Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled him out on the second delivery of the match.
Pathan felt Shaw or Porel would have strengthened the batting order. He pointed to Shaw’s decent run in the previous Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, where the Maharashtra batter struck two fifties. Pathan also highlighted Porel’s impact in domestic cricket, noting Porel amassed 225 runs across seven innings for Bengal at a strike rate of 175, including two half-centuries.
Porel’s Impact Sub role
On Monday, Porel finally got his opportunity as an Impact Sub. He replaced Parakh after Delhi had slipped to six down, and he went on to become the top scorer for the Capitals with 30 runs. His contribution included a 43-run partnership with David Miller, offering a glimpse of what might have been possible had the selection been different from the start.
