Delhi Capitals coach Hemang Badani blamed missed moments, fielding lapses and inconsistency for the team’s failure to qualify to the IPL playoffs. The coach felt a few crucial situations across the season ultimately went against the team.

“There were several games where the match could have gone either way, but we failed to seize those crucial moments. The Gujarat (Titans) game that we lost by one run is one example. Even defending 264 (against Punjab Kings), you would back yourself to win from that position,” Badani said.

He also highlighted his side’s poor fielding and batting collapses at critical times. “Against Chennai and Hyderabad, we dropped catches at important stages. With the bat as well, we lost wickets in clusters too often. Those small moments eventually made a huge difference,” he added.

Badani felt that the team’s bowling unit also struggled to create sustained pressure by not picking up enough wickets. “As a bowling side, you ideally want to keep picking wickets and building pressure. We were among the lower sides in that aspect,” he said.

“The difference between qualifying and missing out comes down to small margins. In this tournament, you have to stay alert and give your all on every single ball,” Badani added. Delhi Capitals finished the season with seven wins and 14 points, missing qualification by a narrow margin for the second successive year.

Published on May 25, 2026