Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel on 2 May praised his team's clinical execution after they registered a seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals, chasing down 226 in IPL 2026. The win marked a sharp turnaround following three consecutive defeats to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Starc's impact return

Mitchell Starc, playing his first match of the season after recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries, made an immediate impact. The Australian left-armer struck in his opening over, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal, and returned at crucial junctures to claim the scalps of Ravindra Jadeja and Riyan Parag, finishing with figures of 3 for 40. Axar singled out the veteran pacer's performance as a defining moment. "The way he bowled today, that's why he's a legend of the game. After three months away, coming back and delivering a performance like this on a wicket like this — it tells you how big a player he is," Axar said.

Foundation through partnerships

Delhi's chase of 226 was anchored by a 110-run partnership between Nissanka (62 off 33 balls) and KL Rahul (75 off 40 balls), who was named Player of the Match. Contributions from Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, and Ashutosh Sharma ensured Delhi wrapped up the innings in just 19.1 overs with 7 wickets remaining, marking the franchise's highest successful chase in IPL history.

Early breakthroughs decisive

The early strikes by Starc and Jamieson's yorker that removed Sooryavanshi put Rajasthan Royals on the back foot early. Captain Riyan Parag's unbeaten 90 had lifted Royals to a competitive 225, but the early damage proved decisive. Axar underscored the value of removing opposition's match-winners. "As a captain, you can't be happier than that. If you can get the wickets of the opposition's main batters — the ones who can change the game in the powerplay — then at that moment there's nobody happier than me," he noted.

Both departments clicking

Axar credited balanced execution across batting and bowling. "The way they batted and bowled, I think both departments were excellent. The plan was executed exactly the way we wanted, and because of that, we got the results too," the skipper said. He also reiterated the importance of consistency after the three-match losing streak. "Even after the last match, when I was giving interviews, I was saying the same thing — that you have to come every day and keep doing the same things. You can always turn things around."

Momentum regained

The seven-wicket win not only restored Delhi's momentum in the tournament but also demonstrated their capacity to chase high totals on challenging pitches. With both batting and bowling units delivering, Delhi have signalled their intent to climb the points table.