In New Delhi, March 23, Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani has stated that the franchise has found a solution to their top-order problems by acquiring fresh talent like Prithvi Shaw, Ben Duckett, and Pathum Nissanka through the auction ahead of the 2026 IPL season, which begins on March 28.
DC finished with the second-lowest run rate and batting average during IPL 2025. The opening partnerships were a major concern, as DC's opening stands averaged just 21.8 runs – the lowest among all teams – and yielded only two fifty-plus scores in 14 innings.
DC experimented with seven different opening combinations but failed to find success, leading to a re-evaluation before the new season, with the hope that stability at the top in 2026 would compensate for the constant changes that hindered them in 2025.
"The solution is quite straightforward. The only way to address this is to find someone who can perform for us. This didn't work last year. That's why you saw changes with Porel, KL, Faf, and Jake. We've brought in a few openers," Badani said during the pre-season press conference on Monday.
DC, led by Axar Patel, will begin their 2026 IPL campaign against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 1.
Venugopal Rao, Director of Cricket at DC, echoed this sentiment. "Same here. We will try new openers."
Badani also highlighted the rapid evolution of T20 cricket over the past 12 months, noting that higher scores had become the norm, and that India's success at the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup reflected this new trend. "I think this is the case with cricket in general. Cricket has evolved to a point where 180 is no longer a challenge, and you need to score well at the top.
"We have seen recent World Cup performances, including Axar winning for the second time, and scores of 250 and 240. We have also seen similar scores in IPL last year.
"I believe that once we have an impact player, even though the World Cup doesn't have one, it's the intent that everyone shows, and that will be the way forward for cricket in this format."
Badani also added a note about bowling strategies. "There was a focus on dot balls. We used to say bowl dot balls. Now, the focus is on minimizing boundary balls and minimizing boundary balls in an over.
"Or, try to reduce the boundary ball in an over rather than just bowling a dot ball. So, I'm happy that we're getting six singles instead of bowling two dot balls and getting three boundaries," he added.
Regarding DC's long wait for an IPL title, Badani emphasized that the focus is on improvement and winning the trophy in 2026 rather than dwelling on past campaigns. "We don't necessarily need to re-emphasize what has happened or how the season has gone. Every player who has played for us last year or even during the season recognizes that we could have finished differently.
"It's not our responsibility to keep driving this and drilling it into their heads. We need to be more objective about how we can get better, what value we can add, and how we can be better than what we are right now to ensure that we cross the line.
"That's essentially what we're talking about. Yes, we have a review session after the season to discuss areas where we need to improve for the next year, and we plan accordingly. We will be back in 2026."
Badani further stated that the franchise has found stability in leadership with Axar continuing as their captain. “I can't really speak about what happened in the past because I haven't been a part of this environment. I've been with them since last year. It was a conscious decision to look for someone who has been with us, understands the people, fans, ground, and the management.
“It was quite straightforward that Axar was the right choice. Hence, we have also tried to stick with him. I thought we had a very good season. Maybe we didn't finish as well as we would have liked, but I thought we had a great start.
“That also speaks to a young leader, and he has been around for a long time. He is also a Delhi native, and that makes him the perfect leader for the team. Here again, he is leading the team this season."
Regarding Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi, who is making his IPL debut after becoming the leading wicket-taker in Jammu and Kashmir's maiden Ranji Trophy win, Badani dismissed concerns about the Rs 8.4 crore price tag bringing any pressure on him, praising his consistency.
"I have been watching him for 2-2.5 years. He was someone who was working with another fast bowler who has also worked with me at SRH. I have known him from those days. What I see with him is his consistency. He's not just about picking wickets.
“It's about how consistent he is with his line and length, and he's a guy who will pick wickets for us. In the last 6 years, we have also seen his white-ball record, which is often overlooked.
“Because of his strong red-ball record, many don't know he has also performed well in white-ball formats. He's an option for us at the top, and he also has the skills to bowl in the death overs. No, there is no price tag pressure. Ideally, I would like to answer by saying no.
“But I think it's up to each individual. We have seen in the past where players have been affected by the price tag and have felt the pressure. But this hasn't happened here, and it won't happen," he concluded.