IPL 2026: Axar Patel Opts To Bat As Delhi Capitals Face Punjab Kings

Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel elected to bat first after winning the toss against Punjab Kings in match 35 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday. Both sides named unchanged playing XIs for the contest.

Punjab Kings entered the match as the only unbeaten team in the competition, sitting at the top of the table, while Delhi Capitals, with three wins and three losses, occupied the sixth position.

Axar said the dry surface and intense daytime heat influenced the decision to bat. He noted that the pitch could slow down as the match progresses, potentially assisting bowlers later, and stressed the importance of posting a strong total.

The Delhi Capitals captain also acknowledged that Delhi have been competitive but have fallen short in key moments due to avoidable mistakes, adding that improving decision-making and consistency would be crucial.

Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer said he too would have opted to field first and mentioned that a brief exchange with Axar before the toss had already indicated that Delhi would bat. He emphasised staying focused on the present and continuing to build a positive team culture through consistent effort and improvement.

The game is being played on pitch number six, which has square boundaries measuring 67 and 59 metres, and a straight boundary of 73 metres.

The surface appears firm with very little grass, according to the pitch report by Simon Katich. He added that the heat could make conditions challenging and potentially lead to a lower-scoring match, with the pitch expected to slow down and assist spin as it wears, although the outfield remains quick.

Playing XIs:

Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (captain), Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, and Mukesh Kumar

Impact Substitutes: Vipraj Nigam, Karun Nair, Dushmantha Chameera, Ashutosh Sharma, and Auqib Nabi Dar.

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Impact Substitutes: Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, and Vishnu Vinod.

Also Read: IPL 2026: Shubman Gill Highlights Key Moments In Gujarat Titans Loss To RCB