IPL 2026: Axar praises 'legend' Starc after DC's record win
What's the story
Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel has praised Australian pacer Mitchell Starc for his stellar performance in the team's recent victory over Rajasthan Royals. The match, which took place at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, saw Delhi chase down a target of 226 runs with five balls to spare. Starc was instrumental in this win, picking up three wickets in his first game of IPL 2026 after nearly three months away due to shoulder and elbow injuries.
Return impact
Starc's 3-fer on return floors RR
Starc made an immediate impact on his return by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal in his very first over. He later went on to take the wickets of Ravindra Jadeja and Riyan Parag in the 17th over, finishing with impressive bowling figures of 3/40. "The way he bowled today, that's why he's a legend of the game," Patel said after the match. "After three months away, coming back and delivering a performance like this on a wicket like this — it tells you how big a player he is. Very happy that Starc is back."
Match highlights
Rahul, Nissanka power Delhi to historic win
KL Rahul led the charge for Delhi, scoring a composed 75 off 40 balls. Pathum Nissanka set an aggressive tone with a quickfire 62 off 33. Their opening partnership of 110 runs put Delhi in firm control. Contributions from Nitish Rana (33 off 17) and an unbeaten finishing stand between Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs ensured a smooth chase. This is now DC's highest successful chase in the IPL.
Individual brilliance
Parag's brilliance goes in vain
Despite the defeat, Riyan Parag shone for Rajasthan with a brilliant 90 off 50 balls after they were reduced to 12/2. He shared a vital 102-run partnership with Dhruv Jurel (42), helping Royals post a challenging total of 225/6. However, on a batting-friendly pitch, their total proved insufficient as Delhi completed a second successive successful chase of over 225 runs at this venue within a week.