Former Delhi Capitals (DC) assistant coach Mohammad Kaif has slammed Axar Patel’s leadership in IPL 2026. The franchise was last in action on Monday, May 11, when they defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by three wickets while chasing 211 in Dharamsala.
DC are currently placed seventh in the points table with five wins from 12 games, and Axar has often come into the spotlight for his comments in post-match presentations. Speaking to the broadcasters following the game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 5, where DC lost by eight wickets after posting 155, Axar made a blunt remark on Kuldeep Yadav, who had a tough outing and returned figures of 0/34 in three overs. Axar had said:
“But I feel in bowling, I missed my partner Kuldeep.”
Speaking on his YouTube channel (@CricketwithKaif11) on Tuesday, May 12, Kaif slammed Axar for publicly taking Kuldeep’s name in front of the camera. The 45-year-old admitted that Kuldeep has endured a tough season but pointed out that the spinner has been brilliant for DC since joining the franchise and has also delivered consistently in international cricket. Kaif added that a player’s name should never be singled out publicly in such situations. He said:
“A mature captain never publicly takes the name of one of his players or lets his player down. He does not openly blame him. I can understand that Kuldeep has gone through a tough phase this season. He has not bowled that well and has not picked up many wickets. But ever since he joined Delhi, he has been a proven bowler.
“Forget just the IPL, even if you talk about India in ODIs or T20Is over the years, he has consistently performed. Yes, this season has been a bit quiet for him and his bowling has not been at its best. But you should never take a player’s name publicly. Instead, you should simply say that things did not go well as a team,” he added.
Kuldeep has taken seven wickets in 10 innings this season at an average of 50.28, a strike rate of 28.2, and an economy rate of 10.66.
“There is some problem in the thinking or calculations” – Mohammad Kaif’s blunt remark on Axar Patel
In the same video, Mohammad Kaif also pointed out that following the loss against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 8, Axar Patel stated during the post-match presentation that the side would now make plans for next year. Kaif asserted that DC are not out of the tournament and still have an outside chance, adding that there seems to be some problem in the thinking or calculations. He said:
“And many times they have also said that now they are preparing for next year. No, you still have an outside chance. If you win all your remaining matches and improve your net run rate, there is still a possibility because mathematically you are still in contention. The chances may be very slim, but officially you are not out yet. So I feel saying that they are already preparing for next year means there is some problem in the thinking or calculations.”
The Capitals will next return to action on Sunday, May 17, when they face Rajasthan Royals (RR) at home.
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Edited by Dev Sharma