Delhi Capitals bowling mentor Munaf Patel made it clear that the team\u2019s mindset has shifted from simply going through the motions to chasing results with urgency. Speaking ahead of Tuesday\u2019s meeting with Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Patel said DC have moved beyond a \u201crelaxed\u201d approach and are now focused on sustaining the kind of winning momentum needed to keep their hopes alive for the IPL 2026 playoffs. Both franchises are level on points at eight, but DC sit seventh because their net run rate is currently negative. With the stakes rising and both teams staring at similar scenarios on the table, Patel believes the match will be an important test of whether DC\u2019s turnaround can truly be sustained, especially after they successfully chased 226 against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.<\/p>\n
In the pre-match press interaction, Patel underlined that every remaining game must be treated as a must-win. \u201cYou don\u2019t really have any other choice but to win. Of course, we play every match to win, but the relaxed phase is over. If you want to qualify, you have to win your matches. We have already won, and we have moved on from it. If we keep dwelling on that win, we will end up losing again. It\u2019s better to forget it and push forward with the momentum from the last victory,\u201d Patel said.<\/p>\n
Patel also stressed that DC require a run of dependable performances if they are to climb further up the points standings. However, their progress has been slowed this season by just a single win at home. With the tournament reaching its decisive stretch and venues expected to offer slower playing conditions, he expressed strong belief that DC\u2019s main spin duo\u2014Kuldeep Yadav and captain Axar Patel\u2014can make full use of the environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur responsibility is to keep them motivated. We talk to them about their mistakes so they can keep improving. Once you\u2019re out there, the chat from me and Hemang (Kumar) ends\u2014because once the players are on the field, they have to execute. You can motivate them as much as you want,\u201d Patel explained. \u201cBut unless they are properly motivated, or they can\u2019t bowl to their strengths, or they aren\u2019t able to deliver according to the batter\u2019s weaknesses, there\u2019s nothing else you can do. Confidence usually comes from winning. I firmly believe you can\u2019t build confidence by losing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patel further pointed out that slower wickets are not a concern for DC, given the quality of their spin resources. \u201cYou\u2019re talking about slow wickets\u2014those spinners who are part of the T20 World Cup set-up, Kuldeep and Axar, they are already there. There\u2019s no reason to think they won\u2019t play or won\u2019t be effective because we have one of the best spin bowling units. We don\u2019t have anything to complain about if the wicket is slow. In fact, if it is slow, it\u2019s better for us because we have top spinners and it will work in our favour,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Munaf suggested that the surfaces may not be as sluggish as many expect. He argued that even when pitches have previously enabled batters to pile up totals above 200, the slowdown might not be as dramatic going forward. \u201cIf it slows down, that\u2019s very good for us. I said earlier that our spinners are among the best in the tournament. But I feel the wickets won\u2019t be as slow as we think they will be, and they won\u2019t be like they were before\u2014because you get time,\u201d Patel said.<\/p>\n
Patel then linked the expected pace of wickets to the schedule and weather. \u201cIf you get five days and play somewhere else, it\u2019s fine. If you get a four-day gap, then four or five days is enough to make a wicket, unless the weather changes\u2014if it rains, the pitch gets covered and can slow down. Otherwise, I don\u2019t think the wickets will be as slow as we\u2019re anticipating,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also dismissed the idea that pitches will become completely unplayable for batters. \u201cThey won\u2019t be that slow. I mean, they might be about 20 percent slower, but not 50 percent. It can be that way because the wickets aren\u2019t as slow as we think. And it\u2019s not happening the way you might imagine\u2014just look at what we\u2019ve seen. We played a match in Rajasthan and chased 226. So I believe batters will still be able to score around 200 in games,\u201d Patel added.<\/p>\n
On tactics, Patel pushed back against the idea that bowlers must copy what has worked for others in previous matches. He specifically referenced trends such as Krunal Pandya experimenting with bouncers, the general practice of throwing deliveries aggressively, and the impact of CSK pacer Anshul Kamboj bowling from around the wicket\u2014particularly during the death overs. \u201cLook, every bowler has their own style. If Krunal is doing something and you try to make it happen with Axar, he can\u2019t, because he didn\u2019t do it. So you can\u2019t step out of the box and force the same plan just because someone else succeeded,\u201d Patel said.<\/p>\n
Patel acknowledged that bowlers can always add variety, but the approach should fit the individual. \u201cYou can add a ball\u2014like a slower one, or a knuckle ball, or a bouncer. You can add those things. But it\u2019s not that you have to go out of the box and do the same thing everyone did when one person gets success. That\u2019s not how it works, and that\u2019s what I feel,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Delhi Capitals bowling mentor Munaf Patel made it clear that the team\u2019s mindset has shifted from simply going through the motions to chasing results with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Munaf Patel Urges DC to Fix Mindset vs CSK in IPL 2026","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Munaf Patel warns Delhi Capitals to ditch a relaxed mindset and sharpen urgency for the CSK clash, aiming to build IPL 2026 playoff momentum.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n