Delhi Capitals kept their IPL 2026 hopes alive with a stunning three-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in a high-scoring match in Dharamsala on Monday. Chasing a tough target of 211, DC rode on a century attack from David Miller and skipper Axar Patel to complete a hugely successful run at the HPCA Stadium, completing the task in just 19 overs.
The victory came at a crucial stage of the season for Delhi, who entered the tournament needing wins to stay in playoff contention. Meanwhile, Punjab slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat after looking like one of the strongest teams in the tournament.
PBKS had earlier posted 210/5 after another explosive start from opener Priyansh Arya. The left-hander scored 56 off just 33 deliveries, hitting towering sixes in fearless fashion. He took apart DC’s pace attack early on, especially targeting Mitchell Starc for 22 runs. The ball moved quickly in the thin air of Dharamsala, and Priyansh made the most of it by sending Starc, Lungi Ngidi and Mukesh Kumar to all corners of the world.
However, Delhi put up a good fight after conceding 51 runs in the first three overs. Young pacer Auqib Nabi played a key role in reducing the pressure with strong footwork and high off the ball. Priyansh ended up falling to Madhav Tiwari, who got his first IPL wicket when PBKS opened the game with a big catch.
The PBKS lost momentum after its first flight. At 107/2 after 10 overs, the total looked within reach, but Delhi’s bowlers held their lines effectively. Captain Shreyas Iyer tried to rebuild with an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls and Cooper Connolly scored 38 off 27 deliveries during an 83-run partnership. But still the batter was able to accelerate fully in the dying overs.
Starc redeemed himself a bit by removing Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh in successive articles in the 19th over. Despite a six from Suryansh Shedge, PBKS were restricted to 210/5 thanks to the final over from Ngidi.
Delhi’s chase got off to a shaky start as PBKS struck three times in the powerplay for the first time this season. Yash Thakur dismissed Abishek Porel with a sharp seam that landed at middle stump. KL Rahul mis-whipped Arshdeep Singh and was caught at fine leg, while youngster Sahil Parakh showed promise before falling to Arshdeep too.
The pressure mounted when Tristan Stubbs ran out, leaving DC struggling at 74/4. But just as Punjab looked to be in complete control, Axar and Miller launched a spectacular attack.
Axar scored 56 off just 30 balls, taking spin and pace with fearless intent. Miller matched his blistering 51 off 28 deliveries as the duo added 64 runs off just 34 balls to swing the momentum back to Delhi.
Even after both batsmen were gone, DC held on. Ashutosh Sharma produced a crucial 24 runs and Madhav Tiwari chipped in with a crucial 18 runs to guide the visitors home with six balls to spare.
For Punjab, Arshdeep stood out with impressive figures of 2/21 in four overs, but the rest of the bowling attack struggled under the pressure as their losing streak continued at the critical stage of the tournament.
