Axar Patel, the captain of the Delhi Capitals, received criticism from Kris Srikkanth for his lackluster IPL 2026 performances. Following the Capitals’ crushing defeat by Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, the former India opener made a statement. The visitors easily won in 6.3 overs with nine wickets remaining after Axar and company were knocked out for 75.
According to Srikkanth, Axar hasn’t made much of an impact with bat and ball or even as the Capitals’ captain in a very long time.
“He hasn’t done anything with the bat in a long time. Even as an all-rounder and captain, it’s been ages since he has done anything. When was the last time he did anything deadly with bat or ball? How can the team come up if this is the case?” Srikkanth asked in a video on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth continued by pointing out other weaknesses in the Capitals’ batting lineup, including David Miller, Sameer Rizvi, and Tristan Stubbs.
“It’s been ages since Tristan Stubbs scored something substantial. Nitish Rana is a gone case when you bounce him. Sameer Rizvi struggles against fast or medium-fast bowling at the start of his innings. If he gets set after smashing some spinner for 20, he’ll play well then even against pacers. Miller has also done nothing impactful,” Srikkanth mentioned.
Look at yourself first before commenting on others: Srikkanth on Hemang Badani
Hemang Badani, the head coach of the Delhi Capitals, was criticized by Srikkanth for his direct comments about Stephen Fleming, the head coach of the Chennai Super Kings, before to the 2025 Indian Premier League. According to Badani, Chennai’s success was primarily due to MS Dhoni, while the previous captain of New Zealand made little contribution. The 49-year-old was told to mind his own business by Srikkanth.
“Look at yourself first before commenting on others. This is why you should never loud mouth in life. He did, and now he has been shut up. Now everyone is criticizing him, and he has no option but to remain silent. He should have just minded his business instead of making claims about Fleming. What have you done? You’ve also not done anything special,” said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).
