Axar Patel reveals tactical use of Mitchell Starc that powered Delhi Capitals to victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad

After Delhi Capitals (DC) secured a dominant seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), captain Axar Patel expressed his delight over Mitchell Starc’s sensational five-wicket haul and provided insights into the franchise’s approach for their upcoming games at their primary home venue, Arun Jaitley Stadium.
With this win, DC registered their second consecutive triumph in IPL 2025, climbing to second place in the points table. Meanwhile, SRH, who had previously put up a stellar performance against Rajasthan Royals (RR), slipped to seventh after their second loss of the season.
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Speaking at the post-match presentation, Axar emphasised the importance of maintaining focus and executing game plans effectively.

"I have told before that I am going to lead the side in the same manner. You need to be up with your game. You cannot take any game easily, there are 10 good teams playing. We need to focus on our plans and process. Today we were successful in doing so. Plan was to give Starc two overs at the start and two overs at the end, but he was in good rhythm. Hence, I gave him the third over and he was able to pick an important wicket. We have experienced players in the team, they give me suggestions. Sometimes I follow them. Enjoying playing with these players. We are playing at Kotla since many years, we will have similar plans. Need to assess the conditions after going there," Axar stated.

After opting to bat first, SRH found themselves in early trouble as Starc’s fiery opening spell left them reeling at 37/4. A crucial 77-run partnership between Aniket Verma (74 off 41 balls, including five fours and six sixes) and Heinrich Klaasen (32 off 19 balls, with two fours and two sixes) helped SRH recover.

However, DC’s bowlers continued to dominate, with Kuldeep Yadav (3/22) and Starc (5/35) dismantling the middle and lower order, restricting SRH to 163 in 18.4 overs.

Chasing 164, DC got off to a strong start, courtesy of an 81-run opening stand between Jake Fraser-McGurk (38 off 32 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Faf du Plessis (50 off 27 balls, with three fours and three sixes).

Though DC lost a few quick wickets, Abishek Porel (34* off 18 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Tristan Stubbs (21 off 14 balls, with three fours) ensured a comfortable finish. The duo guided DC home with four overs to spare, sealing a convincing seven-wicket victory.
For his match-winning spell of 5/35, Mitchell Starc was adjudged the 'Player of the Match,' further solidifying his impact in DC’s campaign.