In the 53rd game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by three wickets to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The DC bowlers had a horrible start, especially Mitchell Starc, who conceded the most expensive over of his IPL history. However, he also took two wickets. Later on, the Capitals had great spirit in bringing things back. Debutant Madhav Tiwari was the surprise package, taking 2/40 with great elegance, including the crucial wicket of Priyansh Arya. Despite being penalised for a sluggish over-rate in the 20th over, which required them to put an extra fielder into the circle, Mukesh Kumar and Tiwari’s death bowling proved efficient enough to keep PBKS within striking distance.
DC’s chase appeared doomed as they fell to 33/3 in the opening five overs, losing KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs cheaply. Axar Patel (56) and David Miller (51) performed a vintage rescue act, turning the game on its head. Their aggressive 100-plus run collaboration derailed the PBKS middle-over plans. While the tail-enders created some jitters, young Madhav Tiwari and Auqib Nabi remained calm in the last over to reach the goal of 216, with one ball to spare.
The Kings got off to a fast start, scoring 51 runs in just three overs. Arya (56) was the main destroyer, slamming a blistering fifty. Captain Shreyas Iyer (59) anchored the middle overs alongside Cooper Connolly (38). While they scored 210/5, their highest-ever first-inning total versus DC, the side may have left a few runs on the table. A mini-collapse in the 19th over, with both Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh fell for ducks to Starc, kept them from achieving a genuinely unassailable 230+ total.
Despite the scoring pressure, the PBKS bowling team failed to maintain consistency in the dewy weather. Arshdeep Singh was the main performer, making early breakthroughs and finishing with a solid 2/21. However, the rest of the attack struggled; Yash Thakur, despite taking two wickets (including a crucial one in the 19th over), was expensive, conceding 55 runs.
With this win, DC are now in 6th position with 10 points.
Scorecard:
Punjab Kings: 210/5, Overs 20, Shreyas Iyer 59*, Madhav Tiwari 2/40
Delhi Capitals: 216/7, Overs 19, Axar Patel 56, Arshdeep Singh 2/21
