IPL 2024: 'Put Big Score on Board & Keep Them Fairly Low' - DC Not Giving Up on Playoff Race Yet

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Delhi Capitals (DC) stand the slimmest of chances in reaching the IPL 2024 playoffs following the defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), but bowling coach James Hopes has said the team can still put up a challenge to finish in the top four.

DC suffered a 40-run loss to RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday (May 12) to drop down to sixth spot. A win over RCB would have given DC a greater chance of challenging for a playoff spot.

Opting to bowl first, DC conceded 187 after some poor fielding effort in the early stages of the match, and then collapsed in the run chase with skipper Axar Patel alone scoring a fighting fifty in a losing cause.

Rajat Patidar, who made a quick fifty, and Will Jacks, who contributed with a swift 41, were dropped multiple times. Hopes, the DC bowling coach, said dropped catches allowed RCB to add a few more runs and reach an over-par total.

"They got one too many and we dropped four catches and had we taken them we could have probably restricted them to 160-165. But that's fine and if you are not going to put it together with the bat you are not going to win too many games in this tournament," said Hopes at the post-match press conference.

DC has registered 12 points from 13 matches and are now in need of a massive win over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday (May 14) to keep their playoff hopes alive. The former Australian all-rounder was confident of achieving it in their home ground.

"We have to win big now. But fortunately, we are going back to Delhi where big scores have been the norm for the season. So, we are going to ask them to put a big score on the board and keep them a fair way below us to have any chance to advance in this tournament," he said.

However, Hopes rued the missed opportunity against RCB. "But today was our chance to really get into the mix for playing finals, and now we've left it up to fight, which you don't really want to do in this tournament."