Axar Patel, David Miller deliver timely redemption to keep DC alive in Dharamshala thriller

For most of the night in Dharamshala, Delhi Capitals looked exactly like a team watching their IPL 2026 campaign slip away.

Punjab Kings were flying, Priyansh Arya was sending sixes into the hills, and DC were once again staring at a familiar Powerplay collapse during a massive chase.

Then Axar Patel and David Miller changed everything.

Delhi Capitals pulled off the highest successful run chase in HPCA Stadium history, chasing down 211 in just 19 overs to keep their playoff hopes alive in one of the wildest games of the season. And the biggest twist? The rescue came from two players who had spent much of this season under pressure.

Priyansh Arya gives Punjab another flying start

Dharamshala has always been a nightmare venue for bowlers once the ball starts travelling, and Punjab Kings took full advantage early. Priyansh Arya came out attacking from ball one and immediately targeted Mitchell Starc, smashing 22 runs in the opening over to put Delhi under pressure straight away.

The left-hander never slowed down.

Arya hammered 56 off 33 balls with six sixes, punishing anything pitched up as Delhi’s seamers struggled badly during the Powerplay. Punjab raced to 72/0 after six overs and looked set for a total well beyond 220.

Delhi eventually clawed their way back by changing lengths and forcing Punjab to hit square of the wicket. Auqib Nabi helped shift momentum with disciplined hard-length bowling, while debutant Madhav Tiwari enjoyed a dream moment by dismissing Priyansh Arya for his maiden IPL wicket.

Punjab still finished with a commanding 210, a total that looked even bigger once Delhi’s chase started wobbling.

Delhi collapse again — before Axar steps up

Abishek Porel, KL Rahul and Sahil Parakh were all dismissed inside the Powerplay as DC stumbled to 47/3.

At that stage, the chase was beginning to feel painfully familiar for Delhi.

But Axar Patel finally delivered the kind of innings DC had been waiting for all season.

The Delhi captain had endured a difficult tournament with the bat coming into this match, managing only 44 runs across the season before arriving in Dharamshala. Against Punjab though, Axar looked far more aggressive and far more certain about his approach.

Instead of getting stuck during the middle overs, he counterattacked immediately. Axar swept the spinners confidently, targeted the seamers straight down the ground and ensured the required rate never spiralled completely out of control.

His 56 off just 30 deliveries completely revived the chase.

More importantly, his partnership with David Miller changed the energy of the game. The duo added 64 runs in only 34 balls and suddenly Punjab, who had looked in total control earlier, were back under pressure.

Miller reminds everyone what he can still do

Dropped for Delhi’s previous two matches, David Miller arrived with questions surrounding both his form and his place in the XI.

He answered them quickly.

Once Axar departed, Miller took over the chase almost entirely on his own. Marco Jansen’s 16th over proved decisive as Miller hammered 15 runs before following it up with consecutive sixes against Ben Dwarshuis in the next over.

The pressure flipped instantly.

Miller’s unbeaten 51 off 28 balls ensured Delhi never fell behind the asking rate despite losing wickets around him.

Even then, the game still had another twist left.

Debutant Madhav Tiwari produced a fearless cameo late in the innings, adding 35 runs off just 14 balls with Ashutosh Sharma to drag Delhi within touching distance of victory.

Punjab still had opportunities to close the game out.

Instead, their errors returned at the worst possible moment.

Yash Thakur bowled a costly no-ball with two deliveries left in the 19th over before conceding a boundary, and on the final ball of the over, Auqib Nabi launched a six that sealed a dramatic win for Delhi Capitals.

Punjab’s slide continues, DC stay alive

For Punjab Kings, the defeat continues a worrying collapse in the second half of the season.

After once looking like one of the most complete teams in IPL 2026, Punjab have now lost four matches in a row, with their bowling plans and execution under pressure increasingly falling apart in crunch moments.

Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, are still hanging on in the playoff race.

And after weeks of failed chases and middle-order collapses, they finally found a night where their senior players delivered exactly when their season needed saving.