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Delhi Capitals Drop 6 Catches in Costly IPL 2026 Defeat to Punjab Kings

Delhi Capitals director Venugopal Rao admitted that dropped catches and poor bowling cost his team a win against Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. Despite KL Rahul's unbeaten 152 leading DC to 264/2, PBKS chased down the target with seven balls to spare. Rao highlighted that six catches were dropped, including key batters like Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh. He also pointed to the absence of injured bowler Lungi Ngidi as a factor in the defeat.

Key Points: IPL 2026: Venugopal Rao on DC's Fielding Woes After Loss

  • Delhi Capitals posted 264/2 but lost by six wickets
  • DC dropped six crucial catches, including Shreyas Iyer twice
  • KL Rahul scored an unbeaten 152 for DC
  • Punjab Kings chased down 265 with seven balls to spare
  • Lungi Ngidi's absence due to injury impacted bowling plans
3 min read

IPL 2026: If we drop catches, we cannot defend, need to improve fielding and bowling, says Rao

Delhi Capitals director Venugopal Rao admits dropped catches and poor bowling cost them a win, despite KL Rahul's unbeaten 152 in a high-scoring IPL 2026 clash.

"If we drop catches, we cannot defend. - Venugopal Rao"

New Delhi, April 25

Delhi Capitals Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao admitted that dropped catches and poor bowling cost his side dearly in their high-scoring six-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. At the same time, he praised KL Rahul's unbeaten 152, while stressing on the need to adapt better in future matches.

At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, DC posted 264/2, but Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh hitting 116 runs in the powerplay along with captain Shreyas Iyer hitting a composed 71 not out off 36 balls helped PBKS chase down 265 with seven balls to spare.

Apart from giving Prabhsimran a life early on, Iyer was also given reprieves twice by Karun Nair in a span of five balls at the fag end, which also played a big part in DC suffering its fourth IPL defeat.

"Yes, I can say that not 2, we dropped almost 6 catches today. See, when you are dropping batters at a crucial time, I do not think we will win these kinds of matches. Chances to players like Prabhsimran, Priyansh Arya and Shreyas, we need to take those. If we drop catches, we cannot defend," Rao said at the post-match press conference.

Reflecting on the failed defense, Rao first credited KL for taking the side to a gigantic total. "See, after scoring and putting a target of 264, still we could not defend. First of all, credit goes to KL, the way he handled it. Nobody knows how the pitch behaved, but he kept on striking the ball well. The way he played till the last over, hats off.

"He continued his form. More importantly, in this format, you cannot relax. He took responsibility as a senior player and you saw the difference this year in what he can bring. I am happy for him. We could not get the win, but we will come back strong in the next match."

On areas of improvement, especially DC set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday, Rao said, "We will see. Next game when we come, we will answer. There are a lot of positives. But the areas to improve are powerplay bowling and catching."

He also pointed to the impact of Lungi Ngidi's absence due to a serious head injury impacting DC bowling plans. "At the end of the day, 264 is not a small target. Kuldeep bowled well, Axar bowled well. But if you look back, the 4 overs of Lungi and the dropped catches made the difference."

On Ranji Trophy's leading wicket-taker Auqib Nabi yet to leave an impact in the IPL, Rao remarked, "Auqib Nabi did well in red-ball cricket. This is his first IPL, it happens to everyone. He will gain experience. We need to back him. It is difficult to get fast bowlers in India and he has done well. He will learn."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
I don't get it. 264 should be match-winning in any T20. Dropping 6 catches is just unprofessional at this level. Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran both got lives and made DC pay. KL Rahul was brilliant though, that 152* was pure class 👏
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Vikram M
Rao sir ka approach accha hai - openly admit mistakes rather than making excuses. But honestly, relying on a 36-year-old Lungi Ngidi and an inexperienced Auqib Nabi shows DC's bowling depth issues. Kuldeep aur Axar ne acchi bowling ki, but others need to step up. Next match against RCB, we need to be sharper in the field.
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James A
Respect to Rao for taking responsibility. KL Rahul's innings was epic but you can't defend 264 when you drop catches. The powerplay bowling was pedestrian - giving 116 runs in first 6 overs is criminal. Prabhsimran and Priyansh Arya just went berserk. DC need to sort out their catching drills ASAP.
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Kavya N
Honestly, I feel bad for KL Rahul. He played a knock of a lifetime and still ended up on the losing side 😢 That 152* was pure timing and placement. But fielding has been DC's achilles heel this season. 6 drops in one match? That's more like gully cricket than IPL. Auqib Nabi needs time, but other bowlers should have stepped up.
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Michael C
Rao is right about one thing - you can't win if you drop catches. But I think he needs

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