DC were bowled out for 75 and RCB overhauled the target in 6.3 overs.
Delhi Capitals (DC) suffered a crushing nine-wicket defeat against Royals Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Match 39 of the IPL 2026 season at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday (April 27).
Invited to bat first, the hosts were bowled out for a paltry 75 in 16.3 overs. It was a listless performance as only three players in the line-up managed to reach double figures.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-5 in 3 overs) and Josh Hazlewood (4-12 in 3.3 overs) wreaked havoc on the DC batters, claiming seven wickets between them.
In response, RCB took only 6.3 overs to chase down the target of 76, with Devdutt Padikkal (34*) and Virat Kohli (23*) staying unbeaten.
After the heavy loss, DC skipper Axar Patel expressed shock, admitting he was still trying to process what happened. He emphasized moving on from the defeat, staying positive, and maintaining a consistent, focused mindset rather than dwelling on "ifs and buts".
“I still don’t understand what happened. But everyone says that in cricket, every day you have to be on your toes and you have to come back and do the same things again and again. But yes, when you go into the next match, you have to forget this and move on,” Axar said while speaking during the post-match presentation.
“I feel ifs and buts will keep happening. You might think that if we had taken that catch or completed that run in the GT game, maybe the momentum would have stayed. But these things keep happening. What’s important is that you come every day and keep doing the same things, stay on your toes, and keep doing what you’ve been doing. The IPL is a very tough tournament - you can’t think even for a day that things will come easy. You have to come and execute every time. Yes, momentum matters, but you can’t keep thinking “what if that had happened.” It’s better to focus on what’s in front of you,” he explained.
The loss against RCB was DC’s fifth in the last six outings. They had started their campaign with two straight wins against LSG and MI but have completely lost their momentum. The Capitals are currently occupying seventh spot in the league table with three wins from eight games.
Axar reiterated the importance of forgetting the bad game to avoid negativity. “I think we need to move on. If you stay negative, you'll lose matches. If you stay positive, you can perform well. So we have to forget this and move ahead. I'll also tell the team the same - one bad game doesn’t mean you start pointing fingers or blaming the batters. We need to stay positive, continue what we’ve been doing in the last 6-7 matches, and keep the right mindset,” he remarked.
Axar Patel gave credit to RCB's bowlers for their ability to move the ball, noting that better negotiation of the first few overs by top-order batters could have changed the match.
“I wouldn’t say surprised - they are world-class bowlers and they swing the ball anywhere, they have done it on every ground. But yes, I feel if our openers or one of the top-order batters had negotiated those first couple of overs better, it could have made a difference and the match might have been different. But credit to them for the way they bowled,” he concluded.