In the IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC) emerged victorious by six wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
After registering a win, DC skipper Axar Patel said that flexibility in the team is very important in the shortest format of the game.
“In T20 cricket, flexibility is very important – how you approach the game. If you feel you have players who can play freely and adapt anywhere, and when the pitch behaves differently, you can use those players accordingly. So it`s about being open-minded. It`s not like sending someone up the order will suddenly change everything. It`s just about making tactical moves, and if they work, they work,” he stated.
When asked about giving an opportunity to Sameer Rizvi ahead of Ashutosh Sharma, the skipper said that it is about picking one specific player according to the needs on the match day. He also sees the task of selection between these two players as a good problem to have.
“When planning happens – when you practice together and play cricket together – Ashu (Ashutosh Sharma) is also batting really well. But it`s about which player you need on a particular day. If that player delivers for you at that time, then it`s great. For me, it`s actually a good problem to have, that I have to choose. I think it shows how strong our bench strength is,” said Patel.
He also said that the team is focusing on one game at a time because in IPL, maintaining momentum is the key and overthinking past results can make comebacks harder in a long tournament.
“I feel taking it one game at a time is very important. When you`re winning continuously, maintaining that momentum is crucial. Because whenever there`s a break and the momentum stops, making a comeback in a tournament like the IPL – which is a long tournament – becomes difficult. So you focus on one game, do well, and then move on without thinking too much about the past,” he concluded.
IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals: Second innings` summary
The hosts successfully scored 164 runs by losing four wickets in 18.1 overs. In an attempt to chase a target of 163 runs, DC`s KL Rahul was dismissed on one run in three balls. Fellow opening batsman Pathum Nissanka played a knock of 44 runs in 30 balls, including six boundaries and a maximum.
Nitish Rana also departed on a three-ball duck. Impact Player, Sameer Rizvi, played a glorious knock of 90 runs off just 51 deliveries, which was laced with seven boundaries and the same number of maximums.
MI`s Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, and Corbin Bosch claimed one wicket each.
(With ANI Inputs)
