Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin reckons Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel’s batting has been a complete letdown in this IPL 2026 season. Patel was dismissed after managing only two runs off six balls against Chennai Super Kings as he was sent back by Gurjapneet Singh. 

The left-arm was able to hit the hard length and Patel was left shocked by the extra bounce. Patel has managed only 33 runs in seven innings at an average of 5.50 and a strike rate of 89.18 in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.

Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “Axar looked okay (with the ball); his batting has been a complete letdown this year. And for the last two days, there has been rain in Delhi. The wicket was under covers. How can you bat? They gave away the game to CSK. If Delhi had bowled, they might have ended up winning this game.”

Ashwin said DC could have picked Abishek Porel in their playing XI and reckons the team made a lot of mistakes. Furthermore, Ashwin questioned Patel’s decision to bat first against CSK on a tricky Delhi track.

He added, “If you want impact, you can go towards a left-hander like Abishek Porel. They missed a bit of a trick; even the toss was not ideal for them. I think they made way too many mistakes. They are a very good team, good squad, and good players, but they’ve found just another reason to lose. Axar should talk to the curator, share a bond, and ask about the wicket and conditions.”

Delhi Capitals will next take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, on Friday.