The Delhi Capitals’ stunning batting collapse against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League was attributed by captain Axar Patel to a combination of “bad luck” and “hesitation” from their previous game.
Axar said that the quick loss of wickets left no batter with time to settle, putting the game decisively in RCB’s favor after they were blasted away in a few frantic overs.
“I think because of what happened in the last game… there was some hesitation. Other than that, I think it was bad luck. No batter could really settle… we lost wickets in one or two balls,” PTI quoted Axar as saying, underlining how the collapse was more circumstantial than structural.
In their last game, DC had scored an impressive 264 against Punjab Kings, but they were unable to defend the total. The game against RCB on Monday night was all but over as DC was left to stare at an unimaginable 6/8.
The left-arm all-rounder speculated that the batting strategy might have been subtly affected by the psychological fallout from the previous game’s inability to defend. Axar also emphasized how the pitch’s characteristics changed rapidly, surprising the batters.
Early on, there was noticeable movement, but as soon as the new ball stopped hurting, the symptoms subsided.
“In the first over there was swing, later, once the ball got hit for a boundary, the swing reduced. But when you score 60–70, bowlers come in with that in the back of their mind,” he said, acknowledging that despite their best efforts, the bowlers’ psyche was unavoidably impacted by the poor number.
Instead of blaming the bowling unit, he blamed the batting unit’s inability to adjust.
“The way we batted today, I would call it bad luck.”
Axar stated that pressure is a necessary component of the tournament’s business end and that the squad shouldn’t avoid it despite the crushing loss.
Axar stated that the requirement for a left-right opening combination and the player’s outstanding training performances were the driving forces behind the decision to give young Sahil Parakh his debut.
In the second delivery of the DC innings, Bhuvneshwar used an in-dipping yorker to uproot Parakh’s middle stump.
“It was his first match. I cannot judge him on that. The way he has been batting, we believe he has potential,” he said.
Axar also acknowledged that the batters might have misjudged the circumstances, bringing over expectations from a prior game on a surface that looked comparable.
“Two days ago the wicket looked similar… but today, with the wind and day-night conditions, there was more swing. Early wickets put pressure. As professionals, we should be ready for that,” he admitted.
The DC captain ruled off making drastic adjustments going forward, maintaining that a single subpar performance shouldn’t lead to a snap decision.
“This might be the first time in several matches that we have played bad cricket. Changing the team will not guarantee results. It is more about mindset, staying mentally strong and sticking together,” he said.
Axar concluded by pleading with fans to support the team at a trying time.
“It should not be that you support only when we win… whether we win or lose, support should remain the same.”
