Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel admitted that fielding lapses cost his side dearly as they fell short by 23 runs against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.
"I think we got off to a good start, but if we talk about the chase, after the power play, we lost two or three wickets in quick succession, which broke the momentum. I feel the difference in fielding was the game-changing moment for me. And if you look at it, whenever wickets fell, they fell in pairs, which made things very difficult. Wickets kept falling in clusters, and that led to a drop in momentum," Patel said during the post-match presentation.
Patel acknowledged that the bowlers performed well to restrict the total to around 215, but said dropped catches undermined the chase. "I think the batsmen did a decent job, but overall, our fielding let us down, because if you look at it, chasing around 213-215 was pretty much possible. I would like to credit the bowlers; they did a very good job restricting the opposition to around 215-217. It was a very good batting wicket. But as I said, if we hadn't dropped one or two catches in the field, the result could have been different. (Did the pitch slow down?) No, nothing really changed. I think it was tougher for them, maybe because of the dew, and they bowled pretty well," Patel added.
The five-time champions CSK secured their first win of the season, ending a six-match losing streak at Chepauk Stadium with a 23-run victory over the Capitals on Saturday. The match was highlighted by a sensational unbeaten century from Sanju Samson and a four-wicket haul by Jamie Overton, who dismantled the DC batting lineup.
After being invited to bat, skipper Gaikwad was dismissed for 15, but Samson accelerated the innings alongside Ayush Mhatre, who provided valuable support from the other end. Samson reached his half-century in just 26 deliveries and went on to score an unbeaten 115 off 56 balls, hitting 15 fours and four sixes. Mhatre contributed a quick 59 in 36 balls with three fours and four sixes, before retiring at the end of the innings. CSK posted a commanding 212/2 in their 20 overs, with Shivam Dube adding a quick 20 not out towards the end.
In the chase, DC looked promising early with Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul putting together a 62-run partnership. However, wickets fell in clusters, breaking DC's momentum. Jamie Overton led the CSK bowling attack, finishing with 4/18, while Anshul Kamboj picked up 3/35. Despite a valiant 60 off 30 balls from Tristan Stubbs, DC kept losing wickets at crucial junctures, eventually being bowled out for 189 in 20 overs.
With this win, CSK moved to ninth spot on the points table with one win and three losses, while DC remain fourth with two wins and two losses. (ANI)
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