CHENNAI: When Delhi Capitals beat Rajasthan Royals on their home ground in Jaipur, they would have believed that the campaign was finally back on track. That it would not go down the same road as 2025.
For context, last season DC won six of their first eight games, rose to top before losing momentum, crumbling in the second half of the season. Four consecutive losses and a no result followed, leaving DC with 13 points after 13 games compared to the 12 they had after eight. They won the final game, but it had no effect on the table, leaving DC out of the top four.
This year, after the win against RR, they had eight points and needed another four wins in six to comfortably qualify. Even that seemed like a task after they lost four of their first seven games despite starting the season with two consecutive wins. However, they still had hope. They had put up a brave front, believing that it would not be a repeat of 2025 despite the close finishes. There was a one-run loss to Gujarat Titans, they lost after scoring over 260 against Punjab Kings, came close to beating Chennai Super Kings in Chennai before falling flat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru's new ball bowling.
For a team filled with match-winners and all-round specialists on paper, DC's bizarre turn of events has been difficult to crack. And the trend continued once again when they lost to CSK at home immediately after the win against RR.
So, when they took the field against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, they had to pull up their socks and deliver. They needed a win against a team one loss away from getting knocked out. DC, in a typical fashion, failed to do that. They started well thanks to Pathum Nissanka's 50 but that was the lone high point. From 74/2 in 8 overs, they slumped to 89/5 in 10.5 before eventually scrapping their way to 142/8. The last 11 overs of the innings saw DC score 65 runs and lose six wickets. By then, the contest was all but gone and the rest was only a formality.
If one were to zoom out a little to see what went wrong for DC and why they have not been able to sustain momentum and be consistent, there are a few reasons to point out. The entry points of Tristan Stubbs and David Miller have been an issue. While Sameer Rizvi delivered early on, he has not been able to continue the same. Axar Patel's batting form has been nothing short of abysmal and it showed on Friday. While he is usually promoted after an early collapse, Axar was kept at No 6, exposing Stubbs early. The usage or there lack of when it comes to Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam too is one to be looked at. Then comes the bowling form of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar. With pacers dominating, these two have not been as effective and it showed. Mitchell Starc was missed in the first half of the season but he alone could make little difference when there is not enough runs on the board.
On Thursday, it was the case with KKR cruising to an eight-wicket win. Through the season Axar has reiterated that they have to put on a smile and turn up no matter the result. But with the business end closing in, Axar, and head coach Hemang Badani, needs results and not just smiles.
Brief scores: DC 142/8 in 20 ovs (Nissanka 50, Ashutosh 39; Anukul 2/31, Kartik 2/25) vs KKR 147/2 in 14.2 ovs (Allen 100 n.o, Green 33 n.o).