12 May,2026 04:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sanjay Bangar (Pic: File Pic)
In the IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Delhi Capitals (DC) emerged victorious by three wickets at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
During the match, DC's David Miller played a knock of 51 runs in 28 balls, including three boundaries and four maximums.
Speaking about his knock, former Team India cricketer Sanjay Bangar heaped praise on Miller, saying he can smash big shots to deep mid-wicket and long-on at will.
"When David Miller is in full flow, he doesn't just dominate the leg side. We all know he can clear deep mid-wicket and long on at will. But when he starts smashing the ball through the offside and over covers, it signals he is in a different zone. That's when bowlers know they are in trouble," he said on Star Sports.
The former cricketer then explained how the 36-year-old cricketer properly timed the ball. He also said that Punjab's bowlers did not use many variations, which in turn helped Miller to continue his dominance in the match.
"The ball was coming onto the bat nicely, and there was a bit of dew on the outfield. That combination made the pitch even better for batting. The ball skidded on, and Miller didn't have to force his shots. He just timed them, and the ball raced away. Punjab's bowlers hardly used any slower variations. They didn't try to change the pace or use cutters. They either went for wide yorkers or bowled predictable length balls. Miller didn't have to worry about being deceived. He picked the length early, got into position, and just teed off. It was a clean, ruthless innings. He didn't just score runs; he made a statement. When Miller bats like this, he can single-handedly change the course of a game," said Bangar.
With an aim of chasing the target of 211 runs, the Capitals scored 216 runs by losing seven wickets in 19 overs.
Opening the innings, wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul departed on nine runs in eight balls, including two boundaries. Fellow opening batsman Abhishek Porel scored five runs in six balls, including a boundary.
Sahil Parkh was also dismissed on 13 runs in six balls, including a boundary and a maximum. Tristan Stubbs returned to the pavilion after scoring 12 runs in 17 balls, with the help of a boundary. Skipper Axar Patel delivered a stunning knock of 56 runs. His knock came in 30 balls, including eight boundaries and two maximums. David Miller also registered 51 runs in 28 balls, laced with three boundaries and four maximums.
Impact Player, Ashutosh Sharma, played a blistering cameo of 24 runs. His knock of 10 balls included two boundaries and the same number of maximums. Later, Madhav Tiwari and Auqib Nabi stayed unbeaten on 18 and 10 runs, respectively. Facing eight balls, Tiwari smashed two boundaries and a maximum, whereas Nabi played just two balls and smashed a boundary and a maximum.
PBKS' star pacer Arshdeep Singh returned with the figures of two wickets for 21 runs in four overs. Impact Player, Yash Thakur, Ben Dwarshuis, and Marcus Stoinis also bagged one wicket each. Marco Jansen went wicketless in the IPL 2026 match against DC.
Earlier, having been put to bat first, PBKS' wicketkeeper-batsman Prabhsimran Singh departed after scoring 18 runs in 15 balls, including three boundaries. Fellow opening batsman Priyansh Arya smashed 56 runs in 33 balls, with the help of two boundaries and six maximums.
Swashbuckling batsman Cooper Connolly struck a crucial 38 runs. Facing 27 balls, he smashed three boundaries and two maximums.
Later, captain Shreyas Iyer played a glorious knock of an unbeaten 59 runs, which came in 36 balls, including five boundaries and three maximums. Marcus Stoinis was dismissed for one run in two balls. Shashank Singh also departed on a one-ball duck. Suryansh Shedge stayed unbeaten on 21 runs in eight balls, laced with two boundaries and the same number of maximums. With this, the Kings posted a total of 210 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs.
Delhi's Madhav Tiwari returned with the figures of two wickets for 40 runs in four overs. Mitchell Starc also bagged two wickets by conceding 57 runs in four overs. Mukesh Kumar also chipped in with one wicket. Auqib Nabi and Lungi Ngidi went wicketless in the IPL 2026 match against PBKS.
