DC Pull Off Record Dharamshala Chase — Axar 56, Miller 51
Delhi Capitals pulled off the highest successful T20 chase ever at the HPCA Stadium, beating Punjab Kings by 3 wickets with 6 balls to spare. Madhav Tiwari and Ashutosh Sharma finish it off after Axar-Miller resurrection.
Delhi Capitals defeated Punjab Kings in a thrilling Match 55 of IPL 2026 at the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, pulling off the highest successful T20 chase ever at this venue. Chasing 211, Delhi recovered brilliantly from a shaky start of 33/3 in the powerplay, with their captain Axar Patel's stunning 56 off 30 balls and David Miller's 51 off 28 holding their nerve to seal a memorable 3-wicket win with 6 balls to spare.
This was the first IPL match since 2008 where no spin was bowled across the full innings. The pitch was so seam-friendly that both teams used only fast bowlers throughout the 39 overs. Chahal wasn't even brought on by PBKS, a decision their captain later admitted "fell short of planning."
🏏 PBKS Innings: 210/5 (20 overs)
PBKS were sent in to bat by Axar Patel and started cautiously. Priyansh Arya brought the runs through with five sixes off his first 13 balls — including back-to-back maximums off Lungi Ngidi's opening over (a 17-run over). At the powerplay, PBKS were on around 50, but the seam-friendly surface made boundary-hitting tough.
Priyansh Arya brought up his fifty off 24 balls before falling for 56 off 33, caught off Madhav Tiwari. From there, captain Shreyas Iyer anchored beautifully with 59 not out off 36, with Cooper Connolly providing some late impetus (including a 96-meter six off Starc).
Mitchell Starc started DC's 19th over by dismissing Stoinis and Shashank Singh off successive balls — but Suryansh Shedge spoiled what could have been a hat-trick, hitting the next ball over the bowler's head for six, then smashing another six and a four off the remaining deliveries to push PBKS past 200.
| PBKS Batter | R | B |
|---|---|---|
| ⭐ P Arya | 56 | 33 |
| P Singh (wk) | 18 | 15 |
| S Iyer (c) | 59* | 36 |
| C Connolly | ~30 | ~22 |
| S Shedge | ~14 | ~5 |
| Total: 210/5 in 20 overs | ||
| DC Bowler | O | R | W |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ M Starc | 4 | 57 | 2 |
| ⭐ M Tiwari | 4 | 40 | 2 |
| L Ngidi | ~3 | ~30 | 0 |
| M Kumar | ~4 | ~30 | 1 |
Stream JioCinema (FREE in India) from anywhere with NordVPN. 30-day money-back.
🎯 DC Chase: 216/7 (19 overs) — RECORD!
Delhi's response was a masterclass in resilience. Yash Thakur — playing his first game of the season — uprooted Abishek Porel's middle stump in just the second over. Arshdeep Singh removed KL Rahul to a beautifully judged Marco Jansen diving catch. Then Arshdeep cramped Sahil Parakh with another short ball. DC were 33/3 in the powerplay — staring down a record chase.
🔥 Axar's Counter-Attacking 56
Coming into this match with just 44 runs in eight innings (average 6.3), Axar Patel bludgeoned 56 off 30 — his first fifty of the season — and put the disappointment behind him. He took Marcus Stoinis for a hat-trick of fours in the 14th over, reaching his 28-ball fifty in the process. He fell trying to slog Stoinis for six in the same over, holing out to long-on.
David Miller provided the other half of the resurrection with 51 off 28 — pulling Stoinis for a flat six over deep midwicket and finding boundaries through cover. He fell to Arshdeep just after his fifty, courtesy a stunning catch by Prabhsimran Singh.
🎯 The Death Heroes: Tiwari & Ashutosh
With DC needing 68 from 5 overs after Axar fell, the match was poised. But Madhav Tiwari emerged as the unlikely hero, smashing 18 off just 8 balls — including a crucial six that silenced the Dharamshala crowd. Ashutosh Sharma then took it home with a rapid 24 off 10 balls, taking the attack to Yash Thakur and ensuring Delhi crossed the line at 216/7 in the 19th over.
| DC Batter | R | B |
|---|---|---|
| ⭐ A Patel (c) | 56 | 30 |
| D Miller | 51 | 28 |
| T Stubbs | ~15 | ~12 |
| A Sharma* | 24* | 10 |
| M Tiwari | 18 | 8 |
| A Nabi* | 10* | 2 |
| Total: 216/7 in 19 overs · WON by 3 wickets | ||
⭐ Key Moments
- Over 3 — Arya destroys Ngidi Priyansh Arya welcomes Lungi Ngidi with back-to-back sixes — pulled over midwicket, launched over extra cover. 17 runs in the over.
- Over 14 — Axar destroys Stoinis Three consecutive fours from Axar Patel off Marcus Stoinis, bringing up his 28-ball fifty. The momentum swung decisively.
- Prabhsimran's stunner catches Miller Just after Miller's fifty, Arshdeep gets him on a short ball that Prabhsimran takes with a sensational catch. Match poised.
- Tiwari + Ashutosh seal it 18 off 8 from Tiwari, then 24 off 10 from Ashutosh Sharma. The unlikely heroes finish the chase with 6 balls remaining.
📊 Points Table Impact
For DC, this win kept their slim playoff hopes alive. They sit 7th on the table now. PBKS dropped to 4th and their playoff path has only gotten more difficult — they have since lost two more matches (vs GT and vs MI), making it 5 losses in a row.
Fire TV Stick 4K Max — works with Willow TV, Sling, FuboTV, JioCinema.