Post-Defeat IPL 2025 Controversy: Captain Axar Patel Opens Up About Internal Disputes Within Delhi Team Following Loss to KKR
Rewritten Article:
In the pulsating IPL 2025 season, the Delhi Capitals (DC) suffered a setback when they were bested by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a nail-biting affair at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Chasing a daunting target of 205, DC disintegrated in the closing overs, despite being in a commanding position at one point. Rather than a mere 14-run loss, it felt like a shocking reality check - on and off the pitch.
Axar Patel Speaks Up: "We Lost Wickets Softly"
At the post-match presentation, DC captain Axar Patel didn't mince words as he dissected the team's performance. "Our bowlers gave away 15-20 extra runs during the powerplay. The pitch assisted the spinners, but we didn't make the most of it. When it came to batting, we lost our cool and wickets too easily," lamented Axar, reflecting on a display that swing from brilliance to confusion.
While the Capitals kept the KKR scoring under control after the powerplay, their batting lacked the grit required in crunch moments. Axar, who scored a gutsy 43 off 23 balls, also admitted he picked up an injury while fielding - a concerning sign with the playoffs nearing.
"I grazed my skin diving to stop a ball on the practice wickets earlier. I'll take a few days off to recover before the next game," he informed.
The Gamechanger: Spin Trio Spins a Web of Wickets
At 136/3 in the 14th over, the game looked like DC's to lose. Faf du Plessis, exhibiting vintage form, guided the chase with a graceful 62 off 45 balls. Alongside him, Axar and youngster Vipraj Nigam kept the run-rate decent. But the momentum decisively shifted when KKR's spin trio - Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav - were brought back into the attack.
Narine was the standout performer with 3/29, while Varun supported with 2/39, and Kuldeep finishing with 1/31. Their relentless accuracy and subtle variations dismantled DC's middle and lower order. Narine's dismissal of Du Plessis effectively sealed the deal, as Delhi went from a strong position to a struggling one in a matter of minutes.
Vipraj Nigam: A Pinch of Hope for DC
Amongst the few bright spots for DC was Vipraj Nigam, whose aggressive 38 off 19 balls gave the fans some joy. With five fours and two sixes, the young left-hander demonstrated his potential under pressure. "When Vipraj was batting, I could sense the buzz in the crowd. If Rishabh Pant were fielding, we might have turned the tide," Axar observed, hinting at their earlier come-from-behind victory in IPL 2025.
Broader Perspective: Home Blues and Fading Momentum
Despite holding the fourth spot on the table with 12 points (6 wins from 10 games), DC's home performances paint a gloomy picture - just one win in four matches played at their home ground. With a team built highlighting their home advantage, such inconsistency threatens to jeopardize their playoff aspirations. In contrast, KKR moved to seventh with eight points, keeping their qualification dreams alive.
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Overall:
Delhi Capitals' woes at home and declining momentum in IPL 2025 can be attributed to several key factors:
- Home Form: Despite having a solid home ground, the DC team has struggled to cash in on their home advantage, losing games played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
- Recent Match Losses: Delhi Capitals have lost four of their last six matches, negatively impacting their momentum and potentially affecting their morale and confidence.
- Inconsistent Batting Performance: The batting department has failed to deliver consistently, often leading to collapses in critical situations.
- Middle-Order Instability: The middle order has been unable to steady the ship when required, causing difficulties in chasing down the opposition's total.
- Opposition Strengths: Opponents like KKR have exploited DC's vulnerabilities, particularly with probing bowling performances, which have disrupted the team's rhythm and triggered collapses.
- Axar Patel attributed DC's loss to the team's "inconsistency," as they "lost wickets too easily" during their batting performance against KKR.
- The spin trio of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav were the "gamechangers" for KKR, as they took "wickets relentlessly" against DC.
- Vipraj Nigam's aggressive 38 off 19 balls was a "pinch of hope" for DC, "demonstrating his potential under pressure," despite the team's overall struggles in IPL 2025, including the "home blues" and "fading momentum."
