Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel endured another disappointing outing with the bat in their IPL 2025 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chasing a tricky target of 164, DC lost wickets early, and once again, Axar was forced to step in earlier than expected, walking in at No. 5 after Abishek Porel’s dismissal in the fifth over.
With the top order faltering, Axar attempted to consolidate the innings alongside KL Rahul. The duo looked to rebuild under pressure, with Axar showing intent by playing a few attacking strokes to keep the scoreboard moving. However, just as things seemed to be settling, RCB’s young spinner Suyash Sharma produced a moment of brilliance that ended the DC skipper’s stay.
In the 9th over, Suyash Sharma tossed up a full delivery outside off. Axar went for a lofted drive over extra cover but ended up mistiming it. The shot went flatter and straighter than he had hoped, and Tim David at long-off made no mistake, completing a safe catch to give RCB a crucial breakthrough.
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But it wasn’t just the wicket that drew attention—it was Suyash Sharma’s reaction afterward. The wrist-spinner, known for his calm demeanor, broke into an intense death stare as Axar walked back, adding a layer of drama to an already tense encounter.
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Earlier, RCB had built momentum through a strong bowling effort, highlighted by a brilliant catch from Jitesh Sharma to dismiss Jake Fraser-McGurk. With momentum shifting in their favor, Axar’s dismissal further dented DC’s chase, making the road to 164 even steeper.
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On the bowling front, DC’s spinners were in top form. Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav weaved a web around the RCB batters with flight, dip, and clever variations. Mohit and Mukesh chipped in with steady spells, though the latter was taken apart by David in the final over. Starc and Axar Patel, surprisingly, were less effective. Axar’s decision to bowl the 19th over especially proved costly.
