After three weeks of anticipation, the 2026 Indian Premier League finally produced its first proper nail-biter on Wednesday night, with Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals locked in a finish that swung on the very last delivery. Gujarat put up 210 runs, looking set for a comfortable platform, but Delhi\u2019s chase had all the hallmarks of a chase that would simply unravel the contest\u2014first through KL Rahul\u2019s command and then through David Miller, who appeared to be steering the Titans\u2019 bowling into submission. Yet what looked destined to end in fireworks turned into a cruel ending, as Miller and Delhi failed to land the required two runs off the final two balls.<\/p>\n
Once the dust settled, attention quickly moved to Miller\u2019s call that denied Kuldeep Yadav the chance to complete the single. The decision has drawn heavy criticism across the cricket world. Big names such as Sunil Gavaskar and Kevin Pietersen have defended the South Africa batter, but a large majority of voices have been unconvinced. Harbhajan Singh, Dale Steyn and Ambati Rayudu also questioned the reasoning, and now former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has joined the chorus, offering no sympathy for Miller despite the obvious heartbreak that followed.<\/p>\n
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said he would have handled the moment differently. \u201cHad I been Kuldeep, I would have pushed him to the other end and completed the single. I can\u2019t understand; I can\u2019t fathom. It is beyond me; it is bonkers. Because if you needed four or six runs, it would have been understandable. But they needed two runs. What are the odds? You could have taken a single. Kuldeep could have touched and run. And if not, even if Kuldeep was bowled, to take a 210-run chase into a Super Over means you\u2019ve done well,\u201d Ashwin added, highlighting how the margin for error in a two-run scenario could have been handled far more safely.<\/p>\n
As for Miller\u2019s thinking, only he truly knows what he was trying to achieve in the final seconds. But the sequence of events clearly shifted the momentum in Gujarat\u2019s favour. Before that tense call, the Titans\u2019 body language suggested they were losing their grip\u2014almost as if the result had already slipped away. Then the dot ball arrived, and with it, a renewed jolt for the defending side. The last over\u2019s final act belonged to Prasidh, whose bouncer proved to be the decisive ball of the match. Miller failed to connect, Kuldeep took off, and the chase ended with a run-out\u2014Delhi Capitals somehow turning a winning position into defeat.<\/p>\n
The emotional toll was visible inside the dressing room as well. Miller sat alone, visibly shaken and struggling to keep back tears, before coach Hemang Badani stepped in to console him. Delhi captain Axar Patel backed Miller publicly, but even he would have understood how this was a victory that slipped away rather than one that was outplayed. What could have been Delhi\u2019s third straight win instead became one of those losses that lingers for a long time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After three weeks of anticipation, the 2026 Indian Premier League finally produced its first proper nail-biter on Wednesday night, with Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"GT vs DC IPL 2026: Last-Ball Finish Seals Delhi Win","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"GT vs DC IPL 2026: A final-delivery thriller rocks the league as Delhi chase 211, clinching a nerve-wracking win against Gujarat Titans.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n