New Delhi, April 3 Delhi Capitals spinner Kuldeep Yadav downplayed concerns about the team's top-order struggles on Friday, asserting that there was no need to "panic" after just one game.
The Capitals had a shaky start in their tournament opener, suffering a top-order collapse before Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs stitched together a match-winning stand to secure a six-wicket victory.
KL Rahul was out for a first-ball duck, while Pathum Nissanka struggled to get going and Nitish Rana perished attempting an attacking stroke.
"Look, Nitish has also been playing for many years, he is an experienced player in the IPL, he has given many good performances. So, Nissanka, obviously you know what kind of batsman he is, what his calibre is. So I feel there is no need to panic," Kuldeep said on the eve of the match against Mumbai Indians.
"There was no such talk either. It was the first game, obviously you want a good start but sometimes it doesn't happen. I'm sure they will perform well in the upcoming matches.
"So the panic button has not been pressed yet. When we lose five out of five, maybe the panic button will be pressed."
Delhi had struggled at home last season, losing four of their five matches at the Feroze Shah Kotla, but Kuldeep expressed confidence in a turnaround.
"We will play good cricket, obviously we will win five out of five as well. And there has been no discussion in the team regarding (losing 4 games here).
"We hope to perform well in the seven matches, it's the home team, we play on the home ground and give that happiness to the fans. And we hope to win at least five out of seven."
With T20 cricket increasingly favouring batters, Kuldeep stressed the importance of spinners staying true to their strengths even under pressure.
"Absolutely, it's very important for spinners that whatever their strength is, to hold on to it. And whenever batsmen put you under pressure, you tend to leave your strength somewhere. You look for a safer option to get out of that situation. Still, I believe that you should focus on your strength."