NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel hailed Mitchell Starc’s clinical execution in the final over as the key factor in their nail-biting Super Over win against Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday. In a match that went down to the wire, the Royals required just nine runs from the last over, but Starc held his nerve, giving away only eight to force the first Super Over of IPL 2025.
“I knew if Starc hit his mark, we’d be back in the contest. He delivered 12 balls straight—every single one aimed as a yorker. He’s an Australian legend, and his mindset was spot on. He only missed the mark once,” said Axar, praising the left-arm pacer.
Delhi, who batted first in regulation time, chased down a 12-run target in the Super Over with remarkable ease. KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs sealed the win in just four deliveries, with Sandeep Sharma handling the pressure over for Rajasthan.
Reflecting on the team’s batting, Axar admitted that Delhi fell short of expectations during the powerplay.
“We should have scored more early on. KL Rahul mentioned the pitch wasn’t easy to bat on. I reminded the boys to stay positive and show intent. Sometimes, pressure makes you panic. When RR were dominating, I felt the heat. I took a strategic timeout and asked my bowlers to stick to proper line and length,” he shared.
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Assessing Delhi’s overall performance, Axar said the team gained momentum after a sluggish start. “All’s well that ends well. The way we began, especially in the powerplay, we could’ve done better.
“During the first strategic break, our batters told us the wicket was tricky for new batters. I told them to maintain intent. Fortunately, we picked up steam around the 12th or 13th over.”
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