New Delhi, May 9: Delhi Capitals may already be preparing to look beyond IPL 2026 after director of cricket Venugopal Rao hinted that the franchise could hand opportunities to bench players during the remaining games following their crushing defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday (May 8).
After Delhi's latest collapse at the Arun Jaitley Stadium further damaged their playoff hopes, Rao admitted the management could now assess other players in the squad as the campaign continues slipping away.
"In the next three games we will see how things work out. We will take it one game at a time. Obviously, we will look at the bench players as well if required. That is definitely something we want to try and assess going forward," Rao said after the match.
The comments strongly suggested that Delhi Capitals are already beginning to shift focus towards evaluating squad depth and future combinations after an inconsistent season that has repeatedly unravelled during key moments.
'All Three Departments Failed Today'
Venugopal Rao admitted the problems within the Delhi setup could no longer be blamed on one particular department after another disappointing performance against KKR.
"See, it was not just one department. I think all three departments failed today," Rao said candidly.
Delhi had started positively with the bat and looked set for a competitive total before losing momentum badly through the middle overs.
"After getting a good start, we were in a strong position with just one wicket down after seven or eight overs. But after that, for the next six or seven overs, we could not get boundaries," he explained.
The DC director stressed that the side had consistently failed to control small but decisive phases throughout the season.
"If you look at the whole tournament, we have not managed to win those small areas consistently. One day it is batting, another day it is fielding, another day it is bowling," he added.
Batting Unit Under Growing Pressure
While Rao avoided isolating one department entirely, he admitted Delhi's batting had become a major concern, particularly while batting first.
"In the last couple of matches, batting has been the major concern, especially when batting first," Rao said.
Delhi's middle-order struggles once again surfaced against KKR despite a decent platform early in the innings. Rao also suggested that senior batters needed to take more responsibility during pressure situations.
"When things are not going well, as a batting unit, individuals need to take responsibility and say, 'I will do it,' rather than waiting for somebody else to do it," he remarked.
The statement reflected growing frustration around the inconsistency of Delhi's experienced players during crucial phases of matches.
Kuldeep Backed Despite Difficult Phase
Rao also defended Kuldeep Yadav despite another difficult outing for the spinner.
"A person like him has a huge amount of experience. He has been part of two World Cup-winning squads. Sometimes bad patches happen," Rao said.
According to Rao, Delhi's bowling attack becomes significantly stronger only when both Kuldeep and captain Axar Patel perform together during the middle overs.
"With players like him and Axar, if both are in good form together, it strengthens the bowling group a lot," he explained.
Delhi's Season Slipping Away
Delhi Capitals began IPL 2026 with promise but have gradually lost momentum during the second half of the season. They are now languishing at eighth spot in the points table with four wins and 7 losses in 11 games (8 points).
According to Rao, the current position on the table is not because of one isolated defeat but repeated failures to control key moments across multiple games.
"If you look back from the Gujarat game to today's match, in almost every game we have not managed to win the small moments and key phases. That is why we are in this position on the points table right now," Rao admitted.
The honesty of the assessment perhaps summed up Delhi's campaign best - flashes of quality overshadowed by repeated collapses during crucial moments.
And with the management now openly discussing bench opportunities, IPL 2026 may already be entering evaluation mode for Delhi Capitals rather than playoff mode.
