Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel consoled a distraught David Miller after a dramatic one-run defeat to Gujarat Titans in a last-over IPL 2026 thriller on Wednesday.
Miller’s unbeaten 41 off 19 balls had brought DC within touching distance of a memorable chase, but the finish proved cruel. Visibly emotional after the final ball, the South African flung his bat in frustration before being comforted by Axar.
Chasing 211, DC finished at 209 for 8, with the game turning in a tense final over from Prasidh Krishna. With two required off the last two balls, Miller chose not to take a single, preferring to keep strike rather than leave the outcome to Kuldeep Yadav.
Prasidh delivered a slower ball that Miller failed to connect, and Jos Buttler reacted quickly behind the stumps to collect and underarm a direct hit, running Kuldeep out. A single would have levelled the scores and forced a Super Over.
Gujarat Titans held their nerve to clinch their first win of the season in the most dramatic fashion.
Earlier, Titans posted 210 for 4 after being sent in. Shubman Gill anchored the innings with 70 off 45 balls, while Washington Sundar (55 off 32) and Buttler (52 off 27) provided the acceleration. Lungi Ngidi stood out with an economical spell of 1 for 24.
Delhi made a strong start in reply, with Pathum Nissanka (41 off 24) and KL Rahul adding 76 for the opening wicket. Rahul then carried the chase with a composed 92 off 52 balls, keeping DC on track despite wickets falling at the other end.
The momentum, however, slipped in the middle overs. Nitish Rana failed to make an impact, and Sameer Rizvi fell for a golden duck as Rashid Khan struck twice in quick succession.
Miller’s late assault reignited hopes, but DC were left agonisingly short in the end.
Axar admitted the game slipped away in key moments. “Both teams played very good cricket. In close games like this, small moments make the difference. We could have been smarter in the chase, especially when those wickets fell,” he said.
Comments are closed.