Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 12 (ANI): Delhi Capitals (DC), helped by fifties from captain Axar Patel and David Miller, along with good cameo Madhav Tiwari later in the innings, completed a brilliant chase of 211 runs to defeat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by three wickets in a high-stakes Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Monday.After posting 210/5 in 20 overs in the first innings, PBKS were positioned well to win the match when they had reduced DC to 74/4 in 8.2 overs, but poor bowling, dropped catches, and misfields cost them the match as DC completed the chase with three wickets and one over remaining.The chase began on a shaky note for DC as the top order struggled against the swing and bounce of the Dharamshala surface. PBKS speedsters Arshdeep Singh (2/21 in 4 overs) and Yash Thakur (2/55 in 4 overs) made early inroads, reducing the Capitals to a precarious 47/3 within the Powerplay as Abishek Porel (5), KL Rahul (9) and Sahil Parakh (13) were dismissed cheaply.With the required run rate climbing, captain Axar Patel took charge. Axar played a calculated yet aggressive knock, smashing 56 off 33 balls, including eight boundaries and two sixes. His ability to rotate the strike and find frequent boundaries shifted the momentum back in DC’s favour.He found an able partner in David Miller, who lived up to his “Killer Miller” reputation with three fours and four sixes, blazing his way to 51 off 28 balls, dismantling the PBKS spin attack and keeping the required rate within reach. The partnership of 64 runs off 34 balls between Axar and Miller formed the backbone of the second innings, turning a likely defeat into a brilliant chase.While PBKS’ Marcus Stoinis (1/44 in 3 overs) got rid of Axar in the 14th over, Ben Dwarshuis (1/51 in 4 overs) dismissed Miller in the 17th over to reduce DC to 175/6 in 17 overs.Despite losing wickets and facing increasing pressure, Delhi Capitals’ lower order held their nerve and delivered when it mattered most. Ashutosh Sharma (24 runs off 10 balls) turned the momentum in the 18th over by smashing two sixes and a four off Stoinis, while Madhav also cleared the ropes, helping DC collect 19 runs from the over.The momentum continued in the following over as Madhav struck a boundary and Ashutosh added another six before being dismissed by Yash Thakur on the fifth ball of the penultimate over. However, Yash overstepped, and the resulting no-ball proved costly. New batter Auqib Nabi smashed the delivery for four and then followed it up with a six off the free hit, guiding DC to 216/7 in 19 overs and securing a crucial victory that kept their playoff hopes alive.Madhav stayed unbeaten on 18 runs from 8 deliveries, while Auqib Nabi provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 10 off only 2 balls. (ANI)After the win, DC moved to the seventh spot on the points table with five wins in 12 matches, while PBKS registered their fourth consecutive loss, remaining at the fourth spot in the standings.Earlier, having been put in to bat, PBKS got off to a blazing start as openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya took Mitchell Starc apart for 22 runs in the very first over.It marked the highest first-over score by PBKS in IPL, surpassing the 21 runs they had managed against the Mumbai Indians earlier this season at Wankhede.The 22-run opening over also stood as the one in which Delhi Capitals conceded the second-highest runs in a first over of IPL match. They had conceded 23 runs against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in 2024.The momentum did not slow down, with Punjab reaching the 50-run mark in just 2.4 overs. This also became the fastest team fifty recorded by PBKS in IPL. After the end of the fourth over, the hosts were 59/0.Priyansh brought up his fifth half-century in the tournament in the fifth over, reaching the landmark in just 24 balls.The left-handed batter continued his fluent start, keeping the momentum firmly with the batting side.At the end of the power play, the Kings were comfortably placed at 72/0.During the fifth ball of the seventh over, speedster Mukesh Kumar broke the opening partnership of 78 after he dismissed Prabhsimran for 18 runs.Madhav Tiwari struck in the ninth over to dismiss the well-set Priyansh, who departed for a brisk 56 off 33 balls, as Kings slipped to 97/2. Despite the setback, Punjab brought up the 100-run mark shortly after, reaching 107/2 at the end of the 10th over.Skipper Shreyas Iyer and Cooper Connolly then steadied the innings and kept the scoring rate healthy, guiding Punjab to 149/2 at the conclusion of the 15th over, with Iyer taking charge of the scoring momentum.During the first delivery of the 18th over, Shreyas brought up his 32nd IPL half-century, reaching the milestone off just 32 balls.However, on the fourth ball of the same over, Madhav struck again, dismissing Connolly for 38 runs. At that stage, the Kings were 187/3, maintaining a strong position in their innings.During the 19th over, Mitchell Starc picked up two consecutive wickets, dismissing Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh on the first and second deliveries, respectively.However, Suryansh Shedge counterattacked immediately, smashing 16 runs off the next four deliveries, helping Punjab Kings cross the 200-run mark despite the late wickets.Iyer remained unbeaten on 59 off 36 balls, while Shedge’s quickfire 21* provided the finishing push as Punjab posted 210/5 in their 20 overs.For Delhi, Madhav (2/40) and Starc (2/57) were among the picks. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)