DC vs PBKS: Delhi Capitals posted a mammoth total of 264 runs batting first, but Punjab Kings chased it down. Here's what Delhi captain Axar Patel had to say after the humiliating defeat.

Axar Statement after Punjab Kings Chased 265

The 35th match of IPL 2026 was historic. Batting first, Delhi Capitals set a target of 265 runs for Punjab Kings. The pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya gave Punjab a great start; both of them made a partnership of 126 runs for the first wicket. After this, captain Shreyas Iyer played a brilliant inning of 71 runs and gave PBKS a victory by 6 wickets. 264 is Delhi's highest score in IPL history; it is the fifth highest score overall but Delhi could not defend even this. DC's captain Akshar Patel, citing poor fielding as the reason for the defeat, said that if you do not support the bowlers on such a pitch, then you deserve to lose.

While discussing the poor fielding, Axar Patel also targeted the bowlers. He even said that if you don't support the bowlers on such a wicket, you deserve to lose. It's worth noting that Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya scored 116 runs without losing a wicket in the powerplay, which was a major reason for the defeat. Iyer was also given two lives.

What did Akshar Patel say?

Patel said after the match, "We are making the same mistakes again and again. If you don't support your bowlers on such a wicket, I think you deserve to lose. The main bowlers also need to reflect on their performance, especially considering their scores in the powerplay. If we had capitalized on some crucial opportunities, 2-3 results would have been in our favor."

KL Rahul gets POTM

Punjab Kings won the match by 6 wickets, but the Player of the Match award went to Delhi Capitals wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul. He played a brilliant innings of 152 runs, becoming the first Indian to score more than 150 runs in the IPL. Winning team captain Shreyas Iyer said after the match, "Rahul deserves all the praise. He was playing some amazing shots, using innovative techniques. I just said that if they can do it, so can we."

This is Punjab Kings' sixth win in seven matches, with one match abandoned due to rain. Punjab leads the points table with 13 points and a net run rate of +1.333. Delhi Capitals are in sixth place. This is Delhi's fourth defeat in seven matches.