David Miller and Axar Patel (IPL) Delhi Capitals kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a stunning three-wicket win over Punjab Kings in a high-scoring thriller in Dharamsala on Monday. Chasing a daunting target of 211, DC mounted a counter-attack with half-centuries from David Miller and skipper Axar Patel to complete the most successful drive at the HPCA Stadium, completing the job in just 19 overs. The win came at a crucial stage of the season for Delhi, who entered the competition needing a win to stay in contention for the playoffs. Punjab, meanwhile, slumped to their fourth straight defeat after once looking like one of the strongest teams in the competition.
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Mahela Jayawardene reflects on MI’s disappointing IPL 2026 campaign PBKS had earlier posted 210/5 after another explosive start from opener Priyansh Arya. The left-hander smashed a breathtaking 56 off just 33 deliveries and smashed six towering sixes in a fearless display of stroke. He soon dismantled the steady pace attack, particularly targeting Mitchell Starc in an over that conceded 22 runs. The ball flew fast through the thin air of Dharamsala and Priyansh took full advantage by sending Starc, Lungi Ngidi and Mukesh Kumar to all parts of the ground. However, Delhi defended smartly after conceding 51 runs in the first three overs. Young pacer Auqib Nabi played a key role in slowing down the momentum by bowling heavy lengths and extracting movement from the surface. Priyansh eventually succumbed to debutant Madhav Tiwari, who claimed his first IPL wicket when the PBKS opener was caught at deep point. PBKS lost momentum after a flying start. At 107/2 after 10 overs, a total in excess of 230 looked possible but the Delhi bowlers effectively tightened their ranks. Captain Shreyas Iyer tried to rebuild with an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls, while Cooper Connolly contributed 38 off 27 deliveries during an 83-run partnership. However, neither batter was able to fully accelerate in the death overs. Starc redeemed himself a bit by dismissing Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh off consecutive deliveries in the 19th over. Despite late sixes from Suryanshe Shedge, PBKS were restricted to 210/5 thanks to a brilliant final over from Ngidi. Delhi’s chase got off to a shaky start as PBKS struck three times in the power play for the first time this season. Yash Thakur removed Abishek Porel with a sharp seam that hit mid-stump. KL Rahul mistimed a whip to Arshdeep Singh and was caught at fine leg, while youngster Sahil Parakh showed promise before falling to Arshdeep as well. The pressure mounted further when Tristan Stubbs was run out, leaving DC struggling at 74/4. But just when Punjab looked completely in control, Axar and Miller launched a sensational counter-attack. Axar smashed 56 off just 30 balls, taking on both spin and pace with fearless intent. Miller matched him shot for shot with a magnificent 51 off 28 deliveries as the duo added 64 runs in just 34 balls to completely swing the momentum back to Delhi. Even after both the batsmen departed, DC held their nerve. Ashutosh Sharma produced a valuable cameo of 24 while Madhav Tiwari played 18 crucial runs to guide the visitors home with six balls to spare. For Punjab, Arshdeep stood out with impressive figures of 2/21 in four overs, but the rest of the bowling attack struggled under pressure as their losing streak continued at a critical stage of the tournament.
