IPL 2026: 'Deserved to lose', says Axar as dropped catches cost DC

Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel rued the dropped catches and said that they "deserved to lose" after the team's six-wicket loss despite scoring 264/2 in the first innings against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Saturday at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium.

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Punjab Kings extended their unbeaten streak with another thriller, pulling off a record-breaking chase of 265--the highest in T20 history. While openers Prabhsimran Singh (76 runs off 26 balls) and Priyansh Arya (43 runs off 17 balls) unleashed a brutal powerplay assault that laid the foundation for the successful chase, it was captain Shreyas Iyer's 36-ball 71 that eventually sealed the game for Punjab. A key turning point for Delhi Capitals came when Karun Nair dropped Shreyas Iyer twice--first in the 15th over with Iyer on 28, and again in the very next over when he was on 35. The missed chances proved costly, as Iyer capitalised immediately, bringing up his half-century in the 16th over.

'Deserved to lose': Axar on poor fielding

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Axar Patel admitted Delhi Capitals deserved the loss, pointing to poor fielding and missed chances as the key reasons. He said that on a high-scoring pitch, it was crucial to support the bowlers, but dropped catches made their job much harder. "Looking at the kind of wicket, if you don't support your bowlers and keep giving away so many chances, then I feel we deserved to lose. That's the main point. It was a good pitch and a small ground, so sixes were always going to be hit. However, when opportunities arise and you don't take even one, you drop chances, as we did today. On a wicket like this, if you don't back your bowlers, it becomes difficult," he said.

Bowling woes and need for review

Delhi Capitals' bowling unit had a tough outing against PBKS, with most bowlers conceding runs at a heavy rate. Mukesh Kumar (18.30) and Auqib Nabi Dar (20.50) were the most expensive, leaking over 18 runs per over, while T Natarajan also went for plenty at 14.10. Even the relatively better performers like Kuldeep Yadav (11.50) and skipper Axar Patel (11.00) conceded runs at high economy rates, in what was an overall costly performance from DC's bowlers.

Axar said DC need to reassess their bowling, especially in the powerplay, along with their fielding and missed chances. He felt 264 was a strong total but stressed that repeated mistakes are costing the team, and they must review and improve. "At the same time, we also need to look at our bowling unit. The way we bowled in the powerplay, the fast bowlers, the fielding, and the opportunities we missed were the main reasons. Because on a wicket like this, 264 was a very good score. It can't keep happening that you come in every time and repeat the same mistakes. So I think we'll go back, review it again, see what we can do, and where we can improve," Axar said.

Match Summary

Coming to the match, after DC opted to bat first, an entertaining 220-run second-wicket stand between KL Rahul (152* in 67 balls, with 16 fours and nine sixes) and Nitish Rana (91* in 44 balls, with 11 fours and four sixes) took DC to 264/2. PBKS did not put their weapons down either, as Priyansh Arya (43 in 17 balls, with two fours and five sixes) and Prabhsimran (76 in 26 balls, with nine fours and five sixes) shaved off 116 runs in the powerplay, later, Shreyas (71* in 36 balls, with three fours and seven sixes) put partnerships with Nehal Wadhera (25) and Shashank Singh (19*), completing the chase in 18.5 overs with six wickets left. (ANI)