DC vs RCB IPL 2026: Axar Patel reflects on a bruising defeat for Delhi Capitals
The high-octane DC vs RCB clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 27, 2026, saw a shocking collapse as Delhi Capitals crumbled to just 75 runs against a relentless Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar made the most of the early movement under lights, running through the hosts to leave them at a historic low of 13/6 within the powerplay.
While Abishek Porel fought back with 30, the target was never going to be enough. The visitors chased it down in just 6.3 overs to wrap up a dominant nine-wicket win. This result leaves Axar Patel and his squad stuck in seventh place on the table as they scramble for consistency in their IPL 2026 campaign.
A captain seeks clarity after the storm
Standing amidst the fallout of a demoralising loss, Axar Patel told broadcasters that even he struggled to make sense of the collapse. He noted that the game demands constant focus, pointing out that players have to stay sharp because the momentum can flip in an instant. The skipper stressed that the team need to put this game behind them quickly instead of overthinking the technical errors that happened during the meltdown.
Looking at the season as a whole, he felt that while this loss hurts their standing, a couple of different results in earlier games could have changed everything. He pointed to missed chances against Gujarat Titans, noting that a better catch or a crucial run here and there might have kept their rhythm going. That said, he was firm that professional sport has no room for “what ifs” or excuses.
“Even I don’t know what happened. That’s why they say you have to be on your toes in cricket. We have to move on from this match. From today’s point of view you can say it did effect, but you can look back, if the catches were taken or had we taken the single against GT, then momentum would have been with us. The game is such that there is no room for ifs and buts.”
Learning from the top-order failure
Talking about the batting breakdown, the Delhi Capitals leader gave credit to the opposition’s bowling. He said he wasn’t surprised by how the Bengaluru pacers played, given they are world-class bowlers who can find swing on pretty much any ground in India. Axar Patel observed that if the top or middle order had just survived that opening burst, the scorecard would have looked a lot more competitive.
Instead of pointing fingers, he urged his teammates to take heart from the good performances they put in over the last five or six games. He insisted that one terrible night shouldn’t define their whole season, as long as the group stays positive and learns from the experience.
“You have to be positive, you had a bad day, and take the positives from the last 5-6 games. I wasn’t surprised, they are world-class bowlers, they swing it every ground, but if our openers or top order had played them out, then the result might have been different,” Patel concluded.
Moving forward in the IPL 2026 campaign
As the dust settles on the DC vs RCB game, the captain is looking at what’s next rather than dwelling on the loss. He said the team have to accept what happened and move forward to stay in the playoff hunt. By focusing on the games ahead, Axar Patel hopes to pull the Delhi Capitals back together and show that this defeat was just a one-off in a competitive season.
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The squad now has the tough job of fixing their net run rate and rebuilding confidence before their next outing. While fans might be frustrated, the skipper asked for their continued support to help the players find their form again. Every game is now essentially a knockout as the Delhi Capitals try to climb back up the ladder after this heavy DC vs RCB defeat.
