IPL 2026: Axar Admits Batting Collapse Cost DC Momentum

On a pitch which had dry cracks, DC slipped from 74/1 to 89/5, thanks to a spin choke from Kolkata Knight Riders, and ended up at 142/8. KKR eventually chased down the total with 34 balls to spare, thanks to Finn Allen's unbeaten 47-ball century. Compared to KKR spinners taking 3-76 in their combined 12 overs, DC's spinners conceded a whopping 102 runs from nine overs for just one wicket.

"I think the runs were definitely below par, and at the same time, the spinners made quite a few mistakes. Looking at the way the pitch behaved, I feel the spinners did make errors. But at the same time, if you notice, we lost five wickets in two to three overs, and I think that's where the momentum slipped away from us. That's probably something we need to think about because the same thing happened against CSK. We started well, and then suddenly wickets kept falling," Axar said at the conclusion of the game.

On how to address the issues DC are facing, especially with their playoffs now hanging by a slim thread, Axar stated, "See, you can't solve it in a complicated way. While Ashutosh and I were batting, we were thinking that if we made a mistake there, it would become very difficult for the next batter coming in.

"So I think it's more about applying the right mindset. Even if you lose one or two wickets, you can still spend time at the crease and play through it. I think that's what needs to be applied, when wickets are falling in clusters, you need to absorb the pressure for an over or two."

Looking ahead to their remaining three games in the league stage after losing their fifth straight game at home and with DC at eighth spot in the points table, Axar said, "For now, we'll go back and think about the mistakes we made. After that, obviously, there's still a long journey ahead, and next year will come too.

"So we'll think about what plans we can make for next year and what approach we should take. Based on that, we can also look at the players sitting on the bench and decide who can be given opportunities and what changes we can make."

- IANS