When the opposition runs away with the game in the first innings alone, it is difficult to determine exactly what could have been done right. That was the sentiment expressed by Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel after his team’s 47-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Uppal Stadium on April 21. However, the captain acknowledged that the fielding was one area where his team could have performed better.
Abhishek Sharma was at it again the center of attention after a sparkling knock was heard. He produced a blistering century off just 47 balls and went on to make an unbeaten 135 off 68 deliveries, powering SRH to a mammoth 242 in 20 overs.
“When a batsman bats like that, the coach and the captain have to accept that even the management can’t stop such innings. I told the bowlers the same thing – if you execute your plans and still get good shots, there’s not much you can do,” Axar Patel said after the match. “This should be considered a day off and forgotten.
SRH vs DC, IPL 2026: MAIN | SCORECARD
While Abhishek Sharma’s batting stole the limelight, SRH also put in a disciplined bowling performance. The standout bowler was Eshan Malinga who returned impressive figures of 4 for 32 in his four overs. He received strong support from Sakib Hussain, Dilshan Madushank and Harsh Dubey who all contributed to keep DC under pressure during the chase.
Abhishek Sharma has finally found his form this season, scoring 3 fifties and all of them have 200+ knocks and is now in the list of top 5 run winners.
Agarkar’s opening headache will be huge – Arya, Suryavanshi, Samson, Abhishek, Ishan, Prabh, phew! pic.twitter.com/R4VpZdYoSv— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) April 21, 2026
RUE MISSED CHANCES
Despite the heavy defeat, Axar felt that Delhi Capitals have an opportunity to make a difference, especially in the field. He pointed out the missed chances that could have helped limit SRH’s total.
“The run and the catch we missed – if we had taken them we could have controlled things better,” he said. “Fielding is something you have complete control over. Taking catches and making runs are areas where you can support your bowlers. That’s where we could have done better.”
Axar referred to a crucial moment when Abhishek was closing in on a fifty, his slowest in the IPL, and tried to steal DC’s double under his nose. The throw was accurate but KL Rahul messed it up. The second instance came later in the innings when the left-hander was run out off the bowling of T Natarajan.
The DC skipper’s tactical decision to play Nitish Rana as an all-rounder ahead of Auqib Nabi also had an impact. Rana conceded 55 runs in his four overs, and while he made up for it with a fighting half-century of his own as he tried to set up a team chase, it was too little too late.
After a heavy defeat, Delhi Capitals return home to face the unbeaten Punjab Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 25. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad will travel to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium to take on Rajasthan Royals on the same day, looking to continue their winning streak.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Published on:
22 Apr 2026 01:02 IST
Tune in
