DC skipper Axar was calm, fantastic: Starc

Axar Patel. Pic/AFP

Australia and Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer Mitchell Starc has lauded captain Axar Patel for his calmness following a thrilling one-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their IPL opener in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

Starc returned with the figures of 3-42 in his four-over spell to restrict LSG to 209-8 despite power-hitting flex by Mitchell Marsh (36-ball 72) and Nicholas Pooran (30-ball 70).

In reply, Delhi had a wobbly start and went on to lose wickets at regular intervals, but Ashutosh Sharma's blitz proved crucial to take the side over the line with an unbeaten knock of 66 in 31 balls laced with five sixes and as many fours. He was also named the Player of the Match.

Also Read: IPL 2025 | "We felt the pressure": Rishabh Pant following the loss vs DC

Axar also contributed with a cameo knock of 22 off 11 balls.

"He's been pretty calm. This is the first time I've shared a dressing room with him. Having seen him from the other side of the field, it's impressive how he has developed into such a dominant all-rounder in international cricket today. Even the intent he showed with the bat tonight played a crucial role in getting us on our way. He's been fantastic," Starc said on JioHotstar.

"Of course, we also have Faf Du Plessis, who has captained extensively in both international and franchise cricket. I think we have a great mix of senior players - experienced leaders like Faf and Tristan Stubbs, who have been with this team for a while. There's a wealth of knowledge within the group.

"And with Axar, his cool, calm, and collected approach to the game is evident. Hopefully, that rubs off on the rest of the team. Chases like tonight - where we dig deep and get over the line - will only strengthen us moving forward," he added.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever