It has been a massively underwhelming campaign for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026, as the side has lost seven out of its 12 matches. The Axar Patel-led team has a very slim chance of qualifying for the IPL Playoffs; they must win their two remaining matches while significantly improving their Net Run Rate (NRR). DC kept themselves in the hunt following a brilliant win over Punjab Kings on Monday, but questions remain regarding the spin attack featuring Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. While Axar did not bowl on Monday, he had previously singled out Kuldeep following their loss against the Chennai Super Kings.

Former Indian cricket team batter Mohammad Kaif was not impressed with Axar's leadership approach, stating that the decision to publicly critique Kuldeep was a mistake. He added that experienced captains would have refrained from naming a player publicly, choosing instead to shield them in tough situations.

"A mature captain never publicly names 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 hasn't picked up many wickets. But ever since he joined Delhi, he has been a proven bowler," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

Kaif further pointed out that Kuldeep has performed well for India across formats, claiming that naming a player after a bad performance may end up causing rifts within the side.

"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.