Axar Patel slams DC after Punjab loss; fans hail Karun Nair as new Shashank Singh

Delhi Capitals squandered a record-setting night despite piling up 264 runs, as Punjab Kings pulled off the highest successful chase in Indian Premier League history on Saturday.

Chasing a daunting target, Punjab looked briefly under pressure when skipper Shreyas Iyer miscued a shot in the 15th over. But a costly dropped catch by Karun Nair at long-off proved decisive, allowing Iyer to continue and anchor the chase. Punjab eventually overhauled the total in just 18.5 overs.

A visibly disappointed Axar Patel blamed repeated fielding lapses for the defeat, stressing that such mistakes make it impossible to defend even massive totals.

“On a flat wicket like this, if you don’t support your bowlers, you deserve to lose,” Axar said after the match, also pointing to an ineffective powerplay from the pace attack.

The missed opportunity drew parallels online with Shashank Singh, who had earlier dropped KL Rahul in the same game—his fourth drop in two matches. Rahul capitalised fully, smashing an unbeaten 152 off 67 balls to put Delhi on top initially.

Fans were quick to react, dubbing Karun “the new Shashank Singh” as social media filled with memes over the costly errors in the field. Despite the result, Yuzvendra Chahal downplayed the dropped chances, calling them part and parcel of the game.

The loss leaves Delhi stuck in a mid-table cluster, while Punjab continue their strong run, staying near the top of the standings with momentum firmly on their side.