Delhi Capitals are set to face the Chennai Super Kings in an important clash in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, May 5.
Ahead of the crucial fixture, Delhi Capitals’ bowling coach Munaf Patel said that the team plays every match with an intent to win and that its ‘relaxed mode’ is well over. The former India speedster stated that the Capitals want to embark on a winning streak with hopes of reaching the playoffs.
“You don’t have any other option but to win the match. Obviously, we play every match to win, but now the relaxed mode is over. If you want to qualify, you have to win all the matches. We have won and we have forgotten that. If we keep remembering that, we will lose again. It is better that we forget that and move forward with the momentum of the winning match,” said Munaf in the pre-match press conference.
The Delhi Capitals have won only one game at home in IPL 2026. However, with the pitches expected to get slower, he backed his spin duo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav to excel in the coming matches.
“Our job is to motivate them. We tell them about their mistakes and make them improve. Once you are on the ground, my and Hemang’s say is over as once you are on the field, the players have to do it all. You can motivate them as much as you want. But until they are motivated, or they can’t bowl on their strength, or deliver as per the batter’s weakness, you can’t do anything,” Munaf said.
“Confidence always comes from winning. I always believe that you can’t give confidence by losing. You are talking about slow wickets – the spinners who play in the T20 World Cup, Kuldeep and Axar, they are there anyway. There is no question that they won’t play because we have one of the best spin bowling units. We don’t have a reason to complain about slow wickets. If the wickets are slow, it is better for us because we have top spinners and it will benefit us,” he added.
IPL 2026: DC vs CSK Match 48 – Impact Players
Chennai Super Kings don’t have a great away record this season in the IPL. They have played four away matches and faced defeat in three. The Super Kings and the Capitals are placed at No. 6 and 7, respectively, on the points table. Both of them have played nine games and have eight points in the bank.
