Delhi Capitals (DC) are gearing up to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 31st match of the ongoing TATA Indian Premier League 2026 (TATA IPL 2026) on Tuesday (April 21) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Ahead of this clash, a big update has come on the fitness of DC captain Axar Patel.
Actually, Axar Patel had given Delhi Capitals (DC) a scare during their previous IPL 2026 game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Bengaluru where he had to retire injured due to severe leg cramps in DC’s 17th innings.
DC captain Axar Patel cleared to play IPL 2026 clash against SRH
All-rounder Axar Patel was hitting 26 runs off 19 balls when he could not bear the pain and the team doctor rushed to the ground to treat him. However, the DC captain was unable to continue and even struggled to leave the field, raising serious concerns over his availability for the SRH game.
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But now Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani has confirmed that Axar has been declared fully fit for their crucial match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Badani said in the press conference, quoted by ANI on Tuesday: “Everything is fine. He (Axar Patel) is fit to play.”
Now, DC expects Axar Patel to perform well with both bat and ball as he is yet to dismiss this season. So far, the captain has only taken 5 wickets and scored just 29 runs in five matches in the ongoing IPL 2026.
Hemang Badani defends David Miller over 1 DC vs. GT race heartbreak
Meanwhile, the DC head coach also addressed the criticism that David Miller faced after the team’s one-run loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) earlier this season. The defeat generated a lot of noise, questioning the decision-making of the South African star, who refused to give up the strike and Delhi lost the game by a single run.
However, Badani has made it clear that Miller still has the team’s full backing. However, the coach admitted that the defeat was disappointing, but it is part of the game, and Miller’s intention was not wrong, especially in close T20 finals where decisions are made in seconds.
The coach stressed: “Look, I think, first of all, we have to understand that this is someone who has been around for a long, long time. Yes, it is heartbreaking to lose a game like the one we lost against Gujarat. And there has already been a lot of talk about it on social media, in the news, on television and even on the station.”
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Miller made the right decision: DC coach
Badani also noted that some decisions work and some don’t in the game, and fans often judge only by the outcome, but they never doubted Miller’s approach or commitment.
He further noted: “But the bottom line is that the player makes a decision at some point. And sometimes you make the right decision; sometimes you don’t make the right decision. And I still believe that he made the right decision. Contrary to what everyone thinks, that is an opinion that I respect. And I understand that everyone has an opinion.”