An off-day: Axar Patel downplays Delhi Capitals' heavy loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad

When an opposition runs away with the game in the first innings itself, it becomes difficult to pinpoint 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 skipper did acknowledge that fielding was one area where his side could have performed better.

Abhishek Sharma was once again the centre of attention after producing a scintillating knock. He brought up a blistering century off just 47 balls and went on to finish unbeaten on 135 off 68 deliveries, powering SRH to a massive total of 242 in 20 overs.

“When a batter is batting like this, the coach and captain have to accept that even leadership cannot stop such innings. I was telling the bowlers the same thing — if you execute your plans and still get hit for good shots, there is nothing much you can do,” Axar Patel said after the match. “This should be treated as an off day and forgotten.”

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While Abhishek Sharma’s batting stole the spotlight, SRH also delivered 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 Madushanka, and Harsh Dubey, all of whom contributed to keeping DC under pressure during the chase.

RUE MISSED CHANCES

Despite the heavy defeat, Axar felt that Delhi Capitals had opportunities to make a difference, particularly in the field. He pointed to missed chances that could have helped restrict SRH’s total.

“The run-out and the catch we missed - had we taken those, we could have controlled things better,” he said. “Fielding is something that is fully in your control. Taking catches and effecting run-outs are areas where you can support your bowlers. That is where we could have done better.”

Axar referred to a key moment when Abhishek was nearing his fifty, his slowest in the IPL, and attempted to steal a double under DC’s nose. The throw was accurate, but KL Rahul fumbled it. The second instance came later in the innings when the left-hander was dropped off T Natarajan’s bowling.

The DC captain'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 though he made up for it with a fighting half-century of his own while trying to set up the chase for the team, it was too little too late.

After the heavy defeat, the 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, aiming to carry forward their winning momentum.

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