IPL Toss Today: Axar Patel-led DC overhaul playing XI with five changes, opt to bowl vs PBKS
Delhi Capitals, facing playoff elimination, made five crucial changes and opted to bowl first against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. Captain Axar Patel acknowledged the team's failure to clinch key moments despite decent overall play. Punjab Kings, also seeking momentum after three losses, aimed to focus on instincts rather than the points table, with Ben Dwarshuis making his IPL debut.
Axar Patel won the toss and chose to bowl first as Delhi Capitals made a massive statement with five changes to their playing XI against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread after a poor run of results, DC appeared ready to shake things up in a must-win encounter. Axar admitted the team had failed in key moments despite not playing “that badly” overall.
“We will be bowling. That's the thing that's going right (winning the toss), in the matches, we haven't won those crucial moments, either with bat, ball or in the field, otherwise we haven't played that badly,” Axar said at the toss. “We will play our brand of cricket and don't worry about the result.
Win or lose, we'll look to play a good brand of wicket. It's a fresh wicket, the new ball might do a bit and we want to let them bat first. Five changes for us.
” Punjab Kings, meanwhile, arrived in Dharamsala hoping a shift in venue could revive their fading momentum after three successive defeats dropped them into a tense playoff battle. Captain Shreyas Iyer said the team was trying to avoid overthinking the points table despite the pressure mounting. “Honestly, you can't tell a lot about the pitch until you play on it.