DC skipper Axar Patel points to missed opportunities and batting collapse as key factors in loss; praises KL Rahul’s promotion in batting order.
New Delhi, April 28:
Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel admitted his team fell 10–15 runs short after their six-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
Speaking after the match, Axar reflected on the challenging batting conditions and Delhi’s failure to build a larger total.
“I feel like we were 10-15 runs short. Our intent was there, but the wicket was hard to bat on — it was two-paced and became better once the dew came on,” Axar told ESPNcricinfo.
Despite showing early aggression, DC kept losing wickets at crucial intervals. Axar emphasized that had one batter stayed longer, the outcome might have been different.
“We tried to accelerate but kept losing wickets. Maybe if one batter had batted through, it might have been better,” he said.
Explaining the decision to promote KL Rahul up the batting order, Axar said, “KL is batting well, so he batted at No. 4 because he can finish games too.”
The defeat leaves DC needing to regroup quickly as the race to the playoffs heats up, while RCB, after this win, surged to the top of the IPL 2025 points table.
In the match, after choosing to bowl first, RCB bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/33) and Josh Hazlewood (2/36) restricted Delhi Capitals to 162/8. KL Rahul (41), Tristan Stubbs (34), and Axar Patel (15) were the main contributors for DC.
Chasing 163, RCB had a shaky start at 26/3 but were rescued by a crucial 119-run stand between Virat Kohli (51) and Krunal Pandya (73*). Tim David’s late cameo of 19 off 5 balls helped RCB complete the chase in 18.3 overs.
Despite Axar’s impressive spell of 2/19, Delhi Capitals couldn’t prevent RCB’s momentum as they continued their strong run in the tournament.