RCB did not just beat Delhi Capitals in the 39th game of IPL 2026. They stripped the match of contest before the first innings had even settled.
DC were bowled out for 75 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium after being reduced to 13/6 in the powerplay, the lowest powerplay score in IPL history. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood broke through the top order, and the innings never recovered. RCB then chased the target in just 6.3 overs, sealing a nine-wicket win that left Delhi with one of the most damaging defeats of their season.
Axar’s reaction jars after DC’s historic collapse
That was the setting in which Axar Patel walked into the post-match interview. Murali Kartik began almost apologetically, saying, “Sorry, I have to ask you questions after this kind of a game.” It was the right tone for the moment. The defeat had been severe enough to demand discomfort.
Axar Patel, however, appeared surprisingly light in his response. The DC captain smiled at times during the exchange and repeatedly returned to the need to move on.
“We did not play the match today. We have to accept it that way and move on,” said Axar.
Captains are expected to protect dressing rooms after heavy defeats. Panic rarely helps a side recover. But there is a difference between keeping the group calm and sounding detached after a collapse of this scale. Delhi’s 13/6 was not a routine bad start. It was a historic low, one that immediately raised questions over preparation, shot selection and leadership response.
Axar was asked whether small moments earlier in the season, including missed chances and the GT game, had affected DC’s rhythm. He again avoided emotional reflection.
“If you keep thinking that we should have taken that catch or completed that run in the GT game, that moment would stay with you. But instead of talking about what has gone, it is more important to focus on what is in front of you,” said Axar.
The answer had logic, but it also felt incomplete. After a nine-wicket defeat built on the lowest powerplay total the IPL has ever seen, “move on” cannot be the entire public explanation. A captain does not need to blame individuals, but he does need to show that the damage has not been registered.
Axar insisted he would not single out the batters. “I will tell the team the same thing, that we had one bad day. It is not about pointing someone out or saying the batters made a mistake. We have to forget it and come back in a positive way.”
Also Read: Delhi Capitals all out for 75 against RCB: Where does it rank in the list of lowest IPL totals of all time
Again, the dressing-room message was understandable. The public tone was the issue. DC’s supporters had watched their side get ripped open at home. They had watched a batting card collapse before the powerplay ended. They had watched RCB finish the chase almost before the evening had begun. In that context, a smiling, almost remorseless “forget and move on” response sat awkwardly against the scorecard.
Axar did credit RCB’s bowlers, saying he was not surprised by the movement Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood found. “They are bowlers who swing the ball on any surface. They deserve credit for the way they bowled.”
That was fair. RCB’s new-ball bowling was ruthless. But Delhi’s collapse was also too deep to be filed away as one bad day. Some defeats hurt because of the margin. Some hurt because of the manner. This one had both.
Axar may have wanted to calm the dressing room. But after DC’s historic 13/6 powerplay horror, his post-match tone needed more edge, more accountability and less ease. A captain can move on. He still has to look like the loss has landed.