The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) punished Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel after their emphatic win over Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. He was found guilty of maintaining a slow over-rate during the match. Now, since it marked Delhiโs first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct, Axar was handed a fine of INR 12 lakh.
Meanwhile, slow over-rate issues have been a recurring talking point throughout IPL 2026, with multiple captains facing disciplinary action during the season. Among those penalised earlier are Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya. Earlier, BCCI had the rule of suspending the captain in case of repetitive offence, but they abandoned that in 2025.ย
DC beat PBKS by three wickets
Delhi produced one of their hardest-fought wins of the season, chasing down a daunting 211 against Punjab Kings to secure a three-wicket victory. Axar Patel led from the front with the bat, delivering his most impactful innings of the campaign.
He registered his first IPL half-century in 20 innings, scoring 56 off 30 balls with eight boundaries and two sixes. His efforts were complemented by David Miller, who struck 51 off 28 deliveries to stabilise the chase after early pressure.
The finish came through lower-order contributions, with Ashutosh Sharma scoring 24 and Madhav Tiwari remaining unbeaten on 18. The decisive moment arrived when Auqib Nabi Dar struck a six off Yash Thakur on the final ball of the penultimate over, pushing Delhi over the line.
After the win, the DC captain credited the batting partnerships and team effort after the win. He lauded the middle order that struggled to keep up with the momentum this season.ย
“Then with the bat, the partnership between David Miller and me settled things down, and after that, the youngsters like Ashutosh Sharma and Madhav finished the game beautifully,โ he said.
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