Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani on May 6 threw his weight behind struggling wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav following an eight-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, insisting the franchise will 'rally around' the senior bowler to help him rediscover his peak form. The loss leaves DC in a precarious position, needing to win four consecutive matches to stay alive in IPL 2026.

Kuldeep's torrid run this season

Once regarded as Delhi's banker in the middle overs, Kuldeep has struggled to find his rhythm in IPL 2026. In 30 overs, the left-arm wrist-spinner has taken only 7 wickets at an economy rate of 10.36, the worst of his IPL career, and has conceded 24 sixes — the most by any spinner in the competition. On Tuesday, he leaked 34 runs in 3 overs without a wicket, combining with left-arm pacer T Natarajan to give away 73 runs in 5.3 overs despite a surface offering grip and turn.

Badani's backing and diagnosis

"We would ideally want Kuldeep to be better than this. But we will rally around him. He's been somebody who's been a part of this side for many, many years and has done well. I think he can turn this around," Badani said in the post-match press conference. The coach attributed Kuldeep's dip to a temporary loss of form rather than fundamental issues. "It's more the case of just about somebody's striking form. He hasn't struck peak form yet. He hasn't bowled at the speeds that he would normally bowl. I think it's a question of time," he added.

Axar's batting collapse compounds woes

DC skipper Axar Patel managed 1-25 in four overs with the ball but has seen his batting returns nosedive. He has managed just 33 runs in the tournament at a strike rate of 89.18 — a steep drop from last season when he was DC's fourth-highest scorer with 263 runs at 157 strike rate. His dismissal for just 2 runs on Tuesday triggered a middle-order collapse, with DC sliding to 69/5 in 11 overs. "With Axar, I think it's again a question of somebody who's trying to find form. There are people who have played cricket at the highest level — like he's a double World Cup winner. You work with them and you give them the faith," Badani said, backing his captain to regain form.

CSK's clinical execution and Samson's masterclass

CSK's spinners Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad combined for 3-41, demonstrating the control that eluded DC. Sanju Samson cashed in with an unbeaten 87, expertly reading the pitch after CSK's first-innings performance. Badani acknowledged the difference: "Fair to say that CSK batters applied themselves better than DC batters. But in hindsight, it's a lot easier for a side to feel 20 overs and then understand what the surface would be when they bat second." Samson's composure contrasted sharply with DC's frailty, as a 65-run partnership between Tristan Stubbs (38) and Sameer Rizvi (40 not out) proved insufficient.

The pitch problem and the road ahead

DC have struggled to adapt to the varying nature of Arun Jaitley Stadium pitches. Against PBKS, pitch number six was a batting road; against RCB, pitch number five favoured pace; against CSK, pitch number four was sticky with low bounce, ideal for spinners. "There's no local side that gets benefit out of the surfaces. You play what is presented to you. Yes, it's been a bit of an up-and-down curve for us to understand what are we going to get at Delhi, which is our home," Badani noted. With the tournament now a knockout scenario for DC, the coach stressed the need for 20-30 additional runs in batting and sharper execution from their bowlers. The side faces an uphill battle to qualify, requiring four consecutive victories.