Axar Patel has come under intense criticism after Delhi Capitals suffered a 47-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL 2026 clash, with former Australia captain Aaron Finch questioning the team’s bowling strategy and captaincy decisions.
SRH posted a massive 242/2 in 20 overs, powered by a sensational unbeaten 135 off 68 balls from Abhishek Sharma, putting DC under immediate pressure. In reply, Delhi Capitals struggled to keep up and were eventually restricted to 195/9, falling well short of the target.
The major talking point from the match was DC’s unusual bowling strategy, where Axar Patel and fellow frontline spinner Kuldeep Yadav bowled only two overs each, while part-time spinner Nitish Rana was given a full four-over spell despite conceding 55 runs.
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show, Aaron Finch expressed confusion over the tactical approach, saying he and others were left “scratching their heads” at the decision-making.
“We’ve been sitting there scratching our heads, haven’t we? Your two premier spinners — Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav — bowled just four overs between them. Meanwhile, a part-time spinner bowled four overs. That makes absolutely no sense,” Finch said.
Finch further questioned Axar Patel’s reluctance to bowl his full quota, especially in his role as captain and senior bowler in the side.
“It is the responsibility of your captain, your senior player… He is a core Indian bowler and a regular in the Indian team. The fact that he doesn’t trust himself to execute under pressure says a lot,” he added.
The former Australia skipper’s comments have intensified scrutiny on DC’s on-field decision-making, particularly in high-scoring matches where bowling resources become crucial.
Delhi Capitals’ struggles were compounded by their inability to contain SRH’s batting lineup. Abhishek Sharma’s explosive century set the tone, while supporting contributions ensured SRH maintained a dominant scoring rate throughout the innings.
Despite a few resistance efforts in the chase, DC never recovered from early setbacks and were comfortably outplayed in all departments.
With this defeat, questions continue to grow around Delhi Capitals’ tactical clarity and use of key bowling resources under pressure situations.
