On Monday night, May 11, IPL fans were treated to another intense contest between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, following their earlier meeting that famously featured a successful chase of 265 led by Shreyas Iyer. Even though the “Revenge Week” storyline wrapped up on May 10, Delhi still managed to get the better of PBKS this time, largely because their middle order finally delivered when it mattered. For much of the season, that batting group had looked inconsistent, with Delhi often leaning on the top order—particularly KL Rahul—to set up the chase. Frequent tinkering with the batting combinations also disrupted Delhi’s momentum, and the side found itself eighth in the standings before the Dharamsala fixture.
Key takeaways
- Delhi Capitals chased 210 against Punjab Kings and won with six balls remaining at Dharamsala Cricket Stadium.
- The turning point was a far more impactful middle order, which had struggled to show up consistently earlier in the campaign.
- Sanjay Bangar stressed that Rahul provided the foundation, but it was the support from others that ultimately decided the match.
- KL Rahul’s form remains elite, with 477 runs in 12 matches and a strong claim to contend for the Orange Cap.
- Axar Patel’s 56, David Miller’s 51, Ashutosh Sharma’s 24 off 10, and Madhav Tiwari’s match-winning finish were key contributions.
Bangar credits the middle order for the turnaround
Former India batting coach and current commentator Sanjay Bangar underlined that the most encouraging aspect for Delhi was how the middle overs and finishing roles fell into place after long spells of underperformance. He noted that Rahul has been the stabiliser for most chases and that Delhi’s execution improves dramatically when the batting unit beyond the top order offers consistent momentum instead of leaving the heavy lifting to one batter.
Bangar also pointed out that players such as Nitish Rana at number three and Sameer Rizvi had contributed earlier in the tournament, but they were not able to back up Rahul’s efforts regularly enough over the season. In his view, Delhi’s earlier wins had often been driven by the top order and by Rahul’s ability to accumulate runs, with Rana adding important value at No. 3 when available, and Rizvi helping them steer games early on.
Speaking on Star Sports’ “Amul Cricket Live,” Bangar explained that Delhi’s success this season had been heavily reliant on the top order: Rahul as the leading run-getter, Rana providing crucial knocks in the middle, and Rizvi delivering momentum in early phases. However, he stressed that the gap between those early contributions and the finish had been too wide too often.
What changed against Punjab Kings
Bangar’s analysis was blunt about the problem Delhi faced: the middle order had been a weak link and struggled to close out games. He cited examples of the instability across the batting unit—David Miller had been in and out, Ashutosh Sharma had not played much, and Tristan Stubbs had been out of form—adding that this lack of consistency ultimately hurt Delhi’s chances.
Against Punjab, though, the script flipped. Bangar highlighted that the middle order “finally stepped up” and that multiple roles clicked in tandem. He referenced Axar Patel’s captain’s knock, Miller’s destructive power-hitting as he returned to the side, Ashutosh Sharma’s sharp 24-run cameo, and Madhav Tiwari’s composure under pressure, describing it as a performance that made the chase look manageable and sealed the result for Delhi.
He also connected the improvement to Delhi’s overall season context, saying that had these kinds of combinations and decision-making worked earlier, the team—then sitting seventh with 10 points—would not have been forced to keep qualification hopes alive based on other results and net run rate.
How each key innings shaped the chase
A visible shift indeed came in the match as Miller returned after missing the previous three games and immediately made an impact with a match-winning 51. It served as a reminder of his reputation as a proven finisher when conditions call for aggression. Axar Patel’s batting also mattered after a relatively quiet phase with the bat; his 56 helped steady the innings following an early top-order collapse and created the platform for the middle order to capitalise on.
From there, Ashutosh Sharma struck quickly with a blistering 24 off just 10 balls, injecting pace into the chase. Then Player of the Match Madhav Tiwari took over at the business end and ensured Delhi reached the target successfully, sealing the win with six balls to spare.
Bangar’s central message was that Delhi’s chase moved from “dependence on Rahul” to a more balanced batting display, and that balance is exactly what had been missing for stretches of the season. With Rahul continuing to post big numbers—477 runs in 12 matches—Delhi now had a blueprint for how they can convert promising starts into wins when the middle overs deliver.
