Hemang Badani Opens Up on Delhi Capitals’ Struggles with Home Pitches
The Home Ground Mystery
For the Delhi Capitals, the 2026 Indian Premier League season has been a rollercoaster, largely defined by the unpredictable nature of the surfaces at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Head coach Hemang Badani recently shed light on the difficulties the team has faced while trying to adapt to their home turf. With only one win in five home games, the frustration within the camp is palpable, but Badani is quick to deflect the idea that the franchise is orchestrating the pitch conditions to suit their own style of play.
Badani emphasized that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) maintains strict oversight of the surfaces used across the tournament. ‘We don’t have any control over the surfaces,’ the head coach stated. ‘There is a clear mandate from the BCCI that they look after the surfaces and ensure that no local side gains an unfair advantage. You play what is presented to you, and it has been a bit of an up-and-down curve for us to understand what we are going to get at Delhi.’
A Spectrum of Surfaces
The inconsistency Badani refers to is evident in the statistical disparity seen at the venue this year. The contrast between matches has been stark, leaving little room for a settled tactical approach. In late April, Delhi Capitals witnessed two polar opposite games: one where a staggering 265 runs were chased down by 264, followed shortly by a collapse where they were dismissed for just 75 runs on a pitch offering significant swing and bounce. This volatility continued into their recent clash against Chennai Super Kings, which featured a slow, grippy surface that played directly into the hands of opposing spinners like Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad.
Despite these challenges, Badani remains pragmatic. ‘Every side has to find a way to win those games,’ he noted. ‘But yeah, ideally, you want to have some consistency.’
Backing the Stars
The performance of key players, particularly spin sensation Kuldeep Yadav and all-rounder Axar Patel, has been a major talking point. Kuldeep has struggled for rhythm throughout the season, conceding runs at over ten an over while managing only seven wickets across 30 overs. Similarly, Axar Patel, usually a mainstay in the batting order, has found runs hard to come by, averaging just 5.50 across seven innings with a strike rate under 90.
Badani, however, is not hitting the panic button. He views these struggles as a temporary phase for seasoned professionals. ‘They are people who have played cricket at the highest level. Double World Cup winners,’ Badani reminded the media. ‘You work with them, you give them faith. They have faith in themselves in the sense that they have played the game, they have figured out the ways and means of going through the grind, ways and means of struggles, and how you come back.’
Looking Ahead
Despite the recent loss to CSK, Badani found positives in the bowling efforts of Axar Patel, who conceded only 24 runs in his four-over spell. The coach believes that with just a few more runs on the board from the batting unit, the outcome of the match could have been different. ‘If we had put on about 20-odd runs, Sanju [Samson] would not have been able to pace the innings the way he did,’ Badani explained. As the Capitals look to salvage their season, the focus remains on adapting to whatever surface the BCCI prepares next, while trusting the veterans of the squad to turn the tide.
