At a glance:
- Delhi Capitals out of IPL playoff race after the defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders
- Axar hinted at testing bench players in the remaining games and planning for a possible squad overhaul ahead of the next IPL season.
- Delhi Capitals have managed only 8 points from 11 matches and can finish with a maximum of 14 points
Following their devastating defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders on May 8, Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel said that his side has been eliminated from the Indian Premier League 2026 season playoff race. After the game, a clearly upset Axar acknowledged that Delhi will now test their bench strength and begin preparing for next year’s campaign.
Delhi now have just 8 points from 11 games after suffering their fifth defeat in their previous six games against KKR. DC will only finish with 14 points even if they win all their remaining matches – not enough to qualify for the playoffs. Axar stated that Delhi needs to reflect on its failures and start looking ahead after the team’s poor performance.
“For now, we’ll go back and think about the mistakes we made. After that, obviously there’s still a long journey ahead and next year will come too. So we’ll think about what plans we can make for next year and what approach we should take,” said Axar after the match.
“Based on that, we can also look at the players sitting on the bench and decide who can be given opportunities and what changes we can make,” he added, hinting at a possible major overhaul next season.
Insufficient Score and Spin Bowling Errors
With 200-plus totals being normal score this season, 142 was always going to be insufficient, and Axar recognized the score was much below average while also referring to the spinners’ poor decision-making in defending the small total.
“I think the runs were definitely below par and at the same time the spinners made quite a few mistakes. Looking at the way the pitch behaved, I feel the spinners did make errors.
“At the same time, we lost five wickets in two-three overs, and I think that’s where the momentum slipped away from us. That’s probably something we need to think about because the same thing happened against CSK…we started well, and then suddenly wickets kept falling,” he added.
The Delhi Capitals had a strong start to the season, but halfway through the Indian Premier League, they collapsed dramatically. After 11 games, they fell to eighth place after a 4-match losing streak at home that began with two unfortunate games against the Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
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Does Delhi Capitals has Chance to Reach Playoffs
DC now have eight points from 11 matches after suffering their seventh defeat of the season. With only three games remaining, their maximum possible tally is 14 points.
To keep their playoff hopes alive, they must win all of their remaining matches against PBKS, RR, and KKR, while also relying on favourable results elsewhere — including defeats for Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in their remaining fixtures.
That leaves Gujarat, Chennai , and Kolkata as their main rivals for the final playoff spots. With only two places still available and several matches remaining between those sides, it appears unlikely that one of them will miss out on qualification.
SunRisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings currently look the strongest contenders for the playoffs. Meanwhile, RCB and Rajasthan Royals are level on 12 points, with KKR and CSK close behind. However, those teams may still need other results to fall in their favour to secure a place in the top four.
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