Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel called on his team to stay composed and keep their spirits up following a heartbreaking one-run defeat to Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026.
Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel and Mumbai Indians' Suryakumar Yadav during the toss before the start of the 8th match of the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL) between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi on Saturday, April 4, 2026. (Photo: IANS/Qamar Sibtain)
Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel called on his team to stay composed and keep their spirits up following a heartbreaking one-run defeat to Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026.
In a video shared by the franchise after the match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, Axar addressed the dressing room, urging his teammates to remain positive despite the narrow loss.
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“Start of the season, I told, you know, control the emotion and stay calm in any situation. All are, you know, sad, feeling sad. We can still smile, it’s okay. It’s a long tournament. I think if he didn’t hit those sixes, I think we are not in the, you know, in the game. We’ll go Chennai and start again. Keep smiling. Cheers,” Axar told his teammates.
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Gujarat Titans secured their first win of the season in dramatic fashion, edging past Delhi Capitals in a last-over thriller. Chasing a daunting target of 211, Delhi finished at 209/8, falling agonisingly short despite a late surge that nearly turned the game on its head.
The decisive moment came in the final over when David Miller, who had revived Delhi’s hopes with a blistering unbeaten 41 off 20 balls, chose not to take a single off the penultimate delivery bowled by Prasidh Krishna. The call, seemingly influenced by a lack of trust in his partner Kuldeep Yadav, proved pivotal.
With two runs needed off the final ball, Prasidh delivered a well-disguised slower bouncer that Miller failed to connect with. In a desperate attempt to complete a run, Kuldeep was run out by Jos Buttler behind the stumps. A review for a potential wide was rejected, confirming Delhi’s narrow defeat.
Earlier, Gujarat Titans looked firmly in control with Delhi needing 36 runs from the last two overs. However, Miller’s counterattack that included two towering sixes and a boundary in a 23-run over off Mohammed Siraj, brought the contest back to life and set up a tense finish.
Despite the late fightback, Delhi Capitals were left just short, registering their first loss of the campaign, while Gujarat Titans celebrated a crucial breakthrough victory after two earlier setbacks.
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