New Delhi, May 8: In the 51st match of IPL 2026, the Delhi Capitals (DC) faced a disappointing 8-wicket loss against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday. Captain Axar Patel expressed his frustration following another defeat at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium.
Patel highlighted that losing five wickets in just two to three overs was the primary reason for DC’s downfall. After the team’s seventh loss of the season, he stated, “I believe we scored fewer runs than expected, and our spinners made several mistakes. Given how the pitch behaved, I think the spinners erred. However, if you pay attention, we lost five wickets in two to three overs, and I believe that’s where the match slipped away from us. We need to reflect on this because the same happened against Chennai Super Kings (CSK); we started well, but then wickets fell rapidly.”
He further added, “Look, you can’t solve this in a complicated way. When Ashutosh and I were batting, we thought that if we made a mistake, it would become very difficult for the next batsman. Therefore, I think it’s crucial to adopt the right mindset. Even if you lose one or two wickets, you can still spend time on the crease and play. I believe that’s what we need to adopt; when wickets fall together, you have to endure pressure for a couple of overs.”
Regarding preparations for upcoming matches, the Delhi Capitals captain mentioned, “For now, we will reflect on the mistakes we made. Obviously, there’s still a long way to go, and next year will come too. We will think about what plans we can make for next year and what approach we should take. Based on that, we can also look at the players sitting on the bench and decide who can be given opportunities and what changes can be made.”
DC batted first, scoring 142 runs after losing 8 wickets in their 20 overs. Pathum Nissanka was the top scorer with 50 runs, but the rest of the batsmen struggled, losing wickets at regular intervals. KKR chased down the target of 143 runs, losing only 2 wickets in 14.2 overs. Finn Allen scored an unbeaten 100 runs off 47 balls, while Cameron Green remained not out at 33 runs.
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