Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh has questioned the seriousness of Delhi Capitals after their latest IPL 2026 defeat, slamming the side’s team selections and tactical decisions following the loss to Chennai Super Kings. With DC’s playoff hopes beginning to wobble badly, Ganesh openly criticised the franchise for ignoring what he felt were obvious calls.
Delhi once again struggled for clarity in both selection and execution during their eight-wicket defeat at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Reacting to the loss, Ganesh questioned DC’s continued backing of Pathum Nissanka at the top while experienced finisher David Miller remained on the bench despite the side’s middle-order issues.
IPL, DC vs CSK: UPDATES | SCORECARD
“There’s so much Indian batting talent available in Delhi’s camp. They can so easily open with Shaw/Rana/Porel along with KL, & have Miller in the middle order. Instead, the geniuses play Nissanka at the top & drop Miller. Tell me, how can this be a serious cricket team?” Ganesh posted on X.
The frustration around Delhi’s tactics has been building for a while now. Against CSK, it surfaced again through another underwhelming batting effort, uncertain combinations and defensive bowling plans during a chase that never really felt out of Chennai’s control.
DC’S TACTICAL DISASTERS VS CSK
Almost every major call Delhi made on the night seemed to go wrong.
The first gamble arrived at the toss when Axar Patel chose to bat first despite rain around Delhi and improving chasing conditions under lights. DC believed the surface would slow down later, but instead ended up posting only 156 on a ground where 170-plus has almost become the safety score.
The batting order again created confusion.
Pathum Nissanka retained his place after his match-winning 62 against Rajasthan Royals, but the inconsistency returned quickly as he managed only 19 off 15 balls. His inclusion again meant David Miller stayed out despite Delhi’s struggles in the middle overs.
Then there is the Abishek Porel question.
Porel had top-scored with 30 during DC’s collapse to 75 against RCB and looked one of the few positives in that match. Yet he found himself out of the XI once again while Delhi continued searching for combinations midway through the season.
AXAR PATEL’S CAPTAINCY UNDER SCANNER
Defending 156 required Delhi to be aggressive from the start, but their plans never consistently put CSK under pressure.
The field placements often looked too defensive for such a modest target, allowing Chennai easy singles early in the chase. That meant the required rate stayed comfortable almost throughout.
There were also phases where DC appeared unsure with their bowling changes. Instead of attacking after small breakthroughs or building pressure through tighter fields, Chennai’s batters were allowed to settle.
And perhaps that is the bigger issue now for Delhi.
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