Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel couldn\u2019t hide his delight after his side returned to winning form in the 2026 Indian Premier League on Friday night. Chasing a daunting total of 226, the Capitals powered their way to victory and put behind them a run of tough outings that saw them suffer humiliating defeats against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in each of their prior three matches.<\/p>\n
Adding extra spark to the occasion was Mitchell Starc, who made his first appearance for Delhi this season after working his way back from shoulder and elbow injuries. In what turned out to be a statement start, Starc struck Yashasvi Jaiswal with his very first over, immediately forcing Rajasthan Royals onto the back foot. The left-arm pace continued to bite later in the innings as well\u2014during the 17th over, Starc removed Ravindra Jadeja and Riyan Parag in quick succession. By the end of his spell, he had finished with figures of 3\/40, a performance that set the tone for the Capitals\u2019 chase of the target to follow.<\/p>\n
Speaking about Starc\u2019s impact, Axar praised him without reservation. \u201cThe way he bowled today is exactly why he\u2019s a legend of the game. Coming back after three months away and producing a performance like this on a wicket like this\u2014 it says everything about how big a player he is. I\u2019m very happy Starc is back and showing everyone why he\u2019s such a great bowler,\u201d the captain said.<\/p>\n
While Starc\u2019s early strikes put Rajasthan under pressure, Delhi\u2019s momentum didn\u2019t stop there. Kyle Jamieson, also delivering when it mattered, sent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi back after landing a high-quality yorker. On a wicket that offered little drama, removing two of Rajasthan\u2019s more dangerous batters early had a clear influence on where the match was heading.<\/p>\n
Even so, Rajasthan still found a way to reach 225, largely propelled by captain Parag, who struck a commanding 90. That meant Delhi\u2019s task was far from simple, and they needed more than just hope to get over the line. The Capitals found their rhythm through Pathum Nissanka, who made 62 off 33 balls, and Player of the Match KL Rahul, who contributed 75 off 40 deliveries. With Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma adding useful bursts in the middle, Delhi managed to steer the chase home in 19.1 overs, winning with seven wickets in hand.<\/p>\n
Axar felt the result reflected the team\u2019s execution across both departments and insisted the turnaround was built on day-to-day consistency. \u201cEven after the last match, when I was giving interviews, I was saying the same thing\u2014that you have to come every day and keep doing the same things. You can always turn things around. So yes, I\u2019m very happy with how the boys played today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the side stuck closely to its plan. \u201cThe way they batted and bowled, I think both departments were excellent, and I\u2019m very happy. The plan was executed exactly the way we wanted, and because of that, we got the results too.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Axar, the biggest satisfaction came from dismantling the opponent\u2019s key threats. \u201cAs a captain, you can\u2019t be happier than that. If you can get the wickets of the opposition\u2019s main batters\u2014the ones who can change the game in the powerplay\u2014then at that moment there\u2019s nobody happier than me,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel couldn\u2019t hide his delight after his side returned to winning form in the 2026 Indian Premier League on Friday night.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Axar Patel Praises Mitchell Starc After DC Win","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Axar Patel celebrates DC\u2019s IPL 2026 turnaround, praising Mitchell Starc as the Capitals break a losing streak with a thrilling win.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n