Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders met in the final league match of IPL 2026. Both teams were already out of the playoff race before this game. Delhi Capitals played a brilliant match and won against Kolkata Knight Riders by 40 runs. Axar Patel was happy with the win and said that he was proud of his team. He also named the top contender for IPL 2026.

After defeating Ajinkya Rahane and Co. at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Axar said, "I would say I'm very proud of the way we played in the last three matches, even when you knew things weren't going well, the way the team fought back. No one thought we would just give up and think we were already out."

He further said, "First of all, you have to admit your mistakes. Then you realize what you need to do better. If the result of just one match had been different, things could have been very different. I think the last time we played good cricket, it was just about one match. If that one match had gone our way, we would be talking differently. We talked at the toss about catching moments being very important. If that had happened, maybe we would have been in a different position."

Speaking about his captaincy, Axar said, "I've learned that the IPL is a tournament where you have to take care of everyone. However, in the end, only if you're in a good mental state can you handle everything well. If you're not in a good mood, you might make bad decisions or act out of frustration. I think it's very important to stay calm."

During this, he was asked about all the teams he's competed against this season. Which team is the favorite to win the title? Axar then named Sunrisers Hyderabad. It's worth noting that over the past few seasons, Sunrisers' batsmen have set a different temperament in the IPL, which all teams are gradually following. They hold the record for the highest IPL score. Delhi has played only one match against Hyderabad, in which they lost.