Follow UsThe start to captaincy life was as good as it can get for Axar Patel, whose Delhi Capitals (DC) side began IPL 2025 with five wins in six games. However, DC have since hit a slight roadblock, losing two of their last three games.
And the loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 27 (Sunday) was Axar’s most challenging defeat, yet, with a lot of tactical calls backfiring.
One such tactic that backfired big time was the call to throw Mukesh Kumar the ball in the 19th over with RCB needing 17 off 12 balls, when Mitchell Starc still had an over left. As it turned out, RCB and Tim David finished off the game in the first three balls of that over itself.
Former India and RCB captain Anil Kumble was pretty baffled by Axar’s tactic to hold back Starc.
"I don't know [what DC were thinking]. When you have 18-19 runs [the requirement was 17 from two overs] to defend in the last two overs, you give the 19th over to your best bowler, to take it till the end," Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out show.
"I was surprised that he gave the ball to Mukesh and not Starc. The result might have been the same, but the intent was wrong."
Meanwhile, on a Delhi track that had plenty of grip for the spinners, Axar gave just one over to leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam, who had provided crucial breakthroughs all throughout the season. In fact, in the reverse fixture at the Chinnaswamy, the young leggie registered figures of 2/18 and was integral to DC’s win.
Former India batter Wasim Jaffer felt Axar did not show enough faith in Vipraj.
"I felt he [Axar] didn't show enough trust in Vipraj," Jaffer said. "Maybe he could have been given two-three overs too. Maybe it could have had an effect. Because at that stage [if a wicket had fallen], two overseas batters [David and Romario Shepherd] would have been there and they might have found it tough. Jitesh [Sharma] was the main batter left then."
Another former India cricket, Sanjay Bangar said on the same show that Axar definitely made a mistake by throwing the ball to Mukesh in the penultimate over.
"It must be the hangover from the [game against RR]. Axar must have thought that since Starc had defended nine runs in that last over, so let's give this to Mukesh and see," Bangar said.
"It might have worked, but the thought process was wrong. Your best bowler should have bowled that over. Even if Starc had conceded, say, 12 runs, you have a legspinner [Nigam] for the last over if you don't want to bowl Mukesh. Spinners sometimes create magical moments. It was a mistake on Axar's part."