Kris Srikkanth, the former India captain and chairman of selectors, minced no words as he tore into the Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani following the team’s nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Axar Patel-led side registered the lowest total of the ongoing edition of the tournament, after being bundled out for 75, and RCB chased the target down inside seven overs with nine wickets in hand.
Two days after allowing the Punjab Kings to register the highest-ever chase in T20 cricket (265), the Delhi Capitals witnessed totally contrasting scenes with the bat, and the hosts were bundled out for below 100. The latest showing prompted Srikkanth to remind Badani of how he had once taken potshots at Stephen Fleming, the head coach of five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Srikkanth urged Badani to stay quiet and mind his own business, rather than speaking about others, who have won quite a few titles. Delhi Capitals are currently seventh in the points table, and the side must win at least 5 of its remaining 6 matches to have any chance of reaching the playoffs.
“On top of all this, Hemang Badani went after Stephen Fleming. Hey Hemang. First, take care of yourself before talking about others. I have always said this: ‘in life, don’t talk too much’. He spoke too much. Now, he has to shut up and watch stuff happening,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“Everybody is bringing this up and slamming him. Why talk about others? You should have been mindful of your job. Who are you to say Stephen Fleming won only because of MS Dhoni? What have you done? Anything special? Nothing,” he added.
What did Badani say?
Two years ago, Badani took potshots at the former New Zealand captain, saying CSK’s trophies are down to Dhoni, not Fleming. He said that Fleming has yet to win any trophy as head coach other than the IPL, and hence, the credit belongs to Dhoni.
“If Fleming is such a big coach, why hasn’t he won anywhere else apart from the IPL?” Badani had asked, pointing to Fleming’s stints in the SA20, The Hundred, and the Big Bash League. He went as far as to say, “CSK are winning because of Dhoni. Dhoni is the kingpin… if someone says Fleming is a good coach, I won’t agree to it,” Badani had said in an interview with Yo Mahesh.
Speaking of the Delhi Capitals, the side will next take on the Rajasthan Royals on Friday, May 1. Mitchell Starc is set to play for the Delhi franchise in the fixture against the inaugural champions.