With Delhi Capitals sitting in seventh place in the IPL 2026 standings, head coach Hemang Badani has found himself under intense scrutiny. His latest round of criticism has been fuelled by a fresh clash with former India batter Krishnamachari Srikkanth, after DC’s disappointing outing against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where they were bowled out for 75 on Monday.
Key takeaways
- Delhi Capitals are placed seventh in the IPL 2026 season.
- Hemang Badani drew criticism after DC were dismissed for 75 runs versus RCB on Monday.
- Krishnamachari Srikkanth said he was unhappy with Badani targeting Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming.
- Srikkanth also questioned Badani’s call to leave out Prithvi Shaw and instead back debutant Sahil Parakh against RCB.
- Srikkanth cited Badani’s earlier remarks that CSK’s success was driven mainly by MS Dhoni rather than Fleming.
Srikkanth fires back at Badani after DC’s collapse
Srikkanth, known for his outspoken views online, hit out at Badani in a video posted on his YouTube channel. He said it was unacceptable for Badani to criticise others while DC’s own results have left the team struggling, adding that Badani should focus on his responsibilities first.
In his message, Srikkanth argued that Badani had spoken too much in the past and now needed to “shut up” and watch how things unfold. He also directly challenged the logic behind Badani’s claim that Fleming’s role was overstated, asking what Badani himself had achieved to justify those remarks.
Srikkanth further stated that many people were now raising the issue and slamming Badani, implying that the coach’s comments had backfired. He questioned the motive for continuing to discuss Fleming rather than dealing with the job at hand.
Selection doubts and the Prithvi Shaw vs Sahil Parakh call
Srikkanth’s criticism did not stop at coaching talk. He also questioned the team selection made by Badani for the match against RCB, pointing to the decision to overlook an experienced option such as Prithvi Shaw while giving a debutant, Sahil Parakh, an opportunity.
He went on to question the batting order and role clarity, specifically raising the point of why Sahil Parakh was allowed to come in and take strike ahead of KL Rahul.
What Badani previously said about Fleming and Dhoni
According to Srikkanth, Badani had previously linked CSK’s success largely to MS Dhoni, rather than giving full credit to Fleming’s coaching. Srikkanth referred to earlier remarks where Badani appeared to diminish Fleming’s standing and suggested Fleming was not even a good coach.
As part of the earlier criticism, Badani had asked a pointed question about Fleming’s record, arguing that if Fleming was truly such a major coach, he should have delivered success beyond the IPL. Badani’s comments referenced Fleming’s coaching stints in leagues including SA20, The Hundred, and the Big Bash League.
Badani had also insisted that CSK are winning due to Dhoni, describing him as the key figure. In that same line of reasoning, he said he would not agree if anyone claimed Fleming deserved the credit as a top coach.
