"Don’t think we could have...": Axar Patel refuses to blame captaincy blunder for DC's loss to RCB

Axar Patel-led Delhi Capitals (DC) went head-to-head with the Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 46th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Sunday, April 27.

Delhi Capitals lost the match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 6 wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

Also Read: "It feels great when you lead RCB": Rajat Patidar's colossal statement after win vs DC

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I feel that we were 10-15 runs short - Axar Patel

Batting first in the match, Delhi Capitals posted a below-par total of 162/8 on the board. Defending the score, the bowlers were not up to the mark and they allowed the run-chase to be completed in 18.3 overs

Notably, Axar Patel made a huge captaincy blunder during the second innings as he gave the over to Mukesh Kumar instead of Mitchell Starc when RCB needed 17 runs off 12 balls, and the Indian pacer bowled terribly.

Speaking after the match, Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel said that they were 10-15 runs short with the bat. He said:

"I feel that we were 10-15 runs short. I thought in the first innings, the wicket was a bit tough but due to dew, it eased out in the second innings."

We missed a few catches, we need to take those catches - Axar Patel

Axar Patel further blasted his fielders for dropping catches and said that the dew in the second innings made things tough for bowlers.

"We missed a few catches, we need to take those catches. Intent was the same but the wicket was two-paced but after dew came in it became easier, we don’t think we could have done anything different. We kept losing wickets. If a batter would have spent some time in the middle, then he could have accelerated, we could have got 10-15 runs extra," Axar said.

While talking about his demotion to the No.5 spot, Axar Patel said that he wanted KL Rahul to bat at No.4 because he has been in good form. He stated:

"KL has been batting so well so I wanted him at No. 4. One side of the ground was shorter as well so we sent him at No. 4."

Notably, Axar was not asked about his blunder in giving the 19th over to Mukesh Kumar instead of Mitchell Starc, and he refused to blame his captaincy for Delhi Capitals' loss.

How did DC perform in the previous IPL match against RCB?

Delhi Capitals (DC) clinched a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their previous IPL 2025 encounter at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 10.

Opting to bowl first, the DC bowling unit, led by Kuldeep Yadav (2/17) and Vipraj Nigam (2/18), did a great job of restricting RCB to 163/7 despite a fiery start from Phil Salt.

Mohit Sharma and Mukesh Kumar also bagged one wicket each, and despite Tim David’s late surge (37* off 20), DC made sure that RCB didn't post a big score.

Chasing the target, DC lost Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Abishek Porel early, and DC found themselves at 30/3 within five overs. Even Axar Patel couldn’t hold on for long, leaving the Capitals struggling at 58/4. At that stage, the match seemed in RCB’s control.

But KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs flipped the script as the Indian batting star smashed an unbeaten 93 from 53 balls, while Stubbs played a vital supporting role with 38* off 23 to seal the win for DC.