On Wednesday, May 21, the Delhi Capitals lost to the Mumbai Indians by 59 runs in a crucial game played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The Delhi Capitals were bowled out for 121 in 18.2 overs after the hosts, who batted first, scored 180/5 in 20 overs.
“The game changed in the last two overs that we bowled,” said Hemang Badani, head coach of the Delhi Capitals, without hiding his disappointment at the defeat.
We bowled 18 overs that were accurate and consistent. In the end, our performance fell short of our expectations, and we conceded 48 runs in 12 balls.
We could have bowled wide yorkers or gone to the cutters, but we could have read the game better and realised that the surface was slower. “You would expect international-level bowlers to come and nail the yorkers, and if you don’t, players who have been around long enough, like Suryakumar Yadav, will punish you,” he continued.
The coach went on to discuss the goal and the absence of captain Axar Patel, who was ill and missed this game. “With the way the ball spun, the target was a bit more than par,” the coach said. A score in the range of 160 to 165 would have been ideal. There are no justifications; the superior side just prevailed.
However, I should also mention that we would have really benefited from having someone like Axel Patel. On this surface, we would have really benefited from a left-arm spinner. Additionally, he would have countered Mitchell Santner with his left-handed batting. However, as I mentioned, the superior team prevailed, and I hope they do well,” Badani remarked.
“For me, it’s a marathon,” the 48-year-old stated in reference to the IPL 2025 campaign. We had a fantastic first sprint. To begin, we had a huge start. We did not finish those games, but we have also had games where I honestly thought we could have won. The goal is to finish those games if you want to make it to the playoffs; if you can’t, you are solely responsible for your own failure. Collectively, we could have performed better.
Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur will host the Delhi Capitals’ season-ending matchup with the Punjab Kings on May 24, 2025.
India
