IPL 2026: Axar Patel wins toss in 100th DC match, opts to bowl vs SRH; Nitish Rana back in XI
Axar Patel celebrated his 100th match for Delhi Capitals by winning the toss and electing to bowl against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He emphasized team balance and player contributions despite a competitive squad. Delhi made one change, bringing in Nitish Rana.
Hyderabad's skipper Ishan Kishan acknowledged wicket uncertainty but backed his bowlers' execution. Both teams aim for crucial wins.
Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel marked a special milestone by winning the toss in his 100th match for the franchise and choosing to field against Sunrisers Hyderabad. On a landmark evening, Axar admitted the moment held significance but kept the focus on getting the job done. “We will bowl first.
Luck is going well (on the toss); winning all matches would have been better. Thank you, I didn't think I would play 100 matches for DC. Hopefully, it'll end up with a win tonight,” he said at the toss.
He also shed light on the challenges of team combination and selection in a competitive squad. “Obviously, to balance the team you need to understand how to balance your playing eleven in cricket, what kind of wicket you are getting, so according to the situation you balance the team. And obviously, when you have such a big squad, it becomes difficult to manage everyone, but at the same time you tell them that whatever contribution you make, you should think that you are doing it for the team.