In the 5th over of Delhi’s chase of 211, they had only 7% chances of winning but a gritty comeback performance turned it all around for them. Punjab would feel that they fell 10-15 runs short despite the fiery start from opener Priyansh Arya, who smashed 56 off 33
Published: May 11, 2026 11:48 PM IST
Axar Patel’s Delhi Capitals defeated Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings by a narrow margin of 3 wickets to keep a their play-offs hunt alive in match number 55 of the Indian Premier League at the scenic Dharamshala Stadium in Himachal Pradesh. This was Delhi’s 2nd highest run-chase, which was anchored by skipper Axar Patel and David Miller’s half-centuries.
Former Punjab batter Ashutosh Sharma also played a key role in this win as his quickfire knock of 24 off 10 helped Delhi grab two important points. Tailenders Madhav Tiwari and Auqib Nabi also made fiery contributions of 18 off 8 and 10 off 2 respectively to leave the Punjab Kings high and dry in front of their home support.
It was an absolutely poor bowling and fielding performance by Punjab, who have now lost their 4th consecutive match in the IPL, which has left their play-off hopes hanging on the edge. Now they will have to win all of their remaining three matches in order to finish within the top 4 spots, which seems a bit difficult now, given the fact that the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are breathing on their neck.
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In the 5th over of Delhi’s chase of 211, they had only 7% chances of winning but a gritty comeback performance turned it all around for them. Punjab would feel that they fell 10-15 runs short despite the fiery start from opener Priyansh Arya, who smashed 56 off 33.
Captain Shreyas Iyer then took control, anchoring the innings with a composed yet destructive half-century, while Cooper Connolly contrinuted 38 off 27. Iyer remained unbeaten on 59 off 36 balls*, striking five boundaries and three sixes.
But the lack of contributions from likes of Marcus Stoinis (1 off 2) and Shashank Singh (golden duck) saw Punjab post a high yet unsafe total of 210.
In the 2nd innings, Delhi’s chase was spearheaded by captain Axar Patel, who led from the front with a brilliant 56 off 30 balls. He found a perfect partner in David Miller, whose explosive 51 off 28 balls, including four massive sixes kept the required rate within reach.
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Earlier, openers Abishek Porel and KL Rahul got out for low scores of 9 and 5, while Tristan Stubbs got run-out for 12. Despite Punjab’s bowlers striking back with Arshdeep Singh and Yash Thakur picking up two wickets each, Delhi’s middle order remained composed.
The game took an exciting turn in the final stages when Delhi needed 21 runs off the last two overs. Ashutosh Sharma (24 off 10) and debutant Madhav Tiwari (18 off 8) dismantled Marcus Stoinis in the 19th over, taking 19 runs to effectively seal the contest.
Auqib Nabi finished the game in style with a six to hand Punjab a fourth consecutive loss. Up next, Delhi will face Rajasthan on Sunday, May 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
