"Haven't played consistent cricket": DC Coach Hemang Badani after another IPL playoff miss
Kolkata, May 25
Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani admitted that the franchise has failed to play "consistent cricket" in recent times, resulting in another missed opportunity to qualify for the playoffs in the Indian Premier League.
While the Axar Patel-led side ended their campaign on a positive note with a 40-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), it marked Delhi Capitals' fifth consecutive season without a playoff qualification. DC finished sixth in the IPL 2026 points table with seven wins and seven losses from 14 matches. The last time the franchise finished in the top four was in the 2021 season.
Speaking during the post-match press conference after the KKR vs DC match on Sunday, Hemang Badani said that the team missed out on the playoffs because they failed to play consistent cricket across all 20 overs. He added that even in the previous season, they narrowly missed qualification by just one point, and winning one more match would have taken them through.
"You have to play 20 overs of consistent cricket. And I believe we haven't played those 20 overs of consistent cricket. If you look at last year, we missed out by one point. We were at 15 points. So if we had won one more game, we would have qualified," he said.
Badani said that missing out came down to fine margins, stressing that in a tournament like this every ball matters. He added that the team needed to stay more alert and give full effort throughout, as they were not performing consistently enough in those key moments.
"It's a question of one game. And those one games are the small margins that I'm speaking of. You have to be alert. In this tournament, you have to give your all on every ball. And I think we are not doing well there," he said.
Coming to the match, Delhi Capitals successfully defended 204 in their final league-stage encounter against KKR.
Batting first, the Axar Patel-led side DC posted 203/5, powered by a quickfire 60 from KL Rahul, 39 from skipper Axar Patel, and a late surge from David Miller and Ashutosh Sharma.
KKR's bowlers shared the wickets but struggled to contain the scoring in the death overs.
In reply, KKR began steadily with Finn Allen and Ajinkya Rahane putting on 43 runs, while Rahane and Manish Pandey kept the momentum going through the power play.
However, the tide of the match changed after Kuldeep Yadav's double strike removed Rahane and Rinku Singh, followed by Axar Patel's wicket of Tejasvi Dahiya.
Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi then cleaned up the lower order as KKR were bowled out for 163 in 18.4 overs, sealing a comprehensive win for DC and ending their campaign on a positive note.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, as a DC fan since 2018, I'm tired. 😔 We always have a great squad on paper but never execute. Axar Patel as captain has been decent but the team lacks killer instinct. Look at how KKR and MI find ways to win close games - DC always finds ways to lose them. That match against RCB where we lost from a winning position still hurts. Need a complete overhaul in mentality, not just personnel.
Badani is spot on about small margins. DC lost three matches by less than 10 runs this season - those are the games that decide playoff spots. The bowling in death overs has been a joke for years now. Even in this win, we saw how Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi cleaned up but where was this form in crucial games? 🤷♂️ Need to build a proper death bowling combination for next year.
Five seasons without playoffs is brutal. But let's be honest - the management has made some bizarre decisions. Why did they release Rishabh Pant? Why persist with underperforming overseas players? And KL Rahul's strike rate in first six overs has been a liability. Badani and co need to take responsibility too - not just the players. Time for some tough calls in the auction. 💪
I feel for the DC fans. They've been so loyal but the team keeps letting them down. What frustrates me is the same excuses every year - 'small margins', 'consistency issues'. At some point, you have to look at the leadership. Axar is a great guy but captaincy is different. The team looks directionless in pressure moments. Hope they learn from KKR's rebuild - they went from bottom to champions by backing young Indian talent.
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