IPL 2026: Top-order Collapse Sabotaging DC’s Impact Player Strategy, Admits Badani

IPL 2026: Top-order collapse sabotaging DC’s impact player strategy, admits Badani (Image Source: IANS)

Chennai Super Kings: Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani admitted that the team’s recurring top-order collapses are not only costing them matches but are also affecting their tactical flexibility, especially in terms of using the ‘Impact Player’ rule.

In DC getting an eight-wicket thrashing at the hands of Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday night, the hosts lost control of how they intended to play. Last week, in their infamous 75 all out against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, they struggled on a pitch with swing and bounce to be 8/6.

On pitch number four, which looked a bit dry and had some bite for both spinners and pacers, DC found themselves at 69/5 in 11 overs. In both of the aforementioned games, early wickets changed their strategy of impact player usage – from being a tactical instrument, it was now a rescue mechanism to get a respectable total on board.

Thankfully, contributions from remodelled impact player strategy have come - Abishek Porel hit 30 against RCB; while Sameer Rizvi, facing his former franchise CSK, top-scored with 40 not out off 24, thus giving DC bowlers a target worth defending.

For a side that has fluctuated between massive totals and below-par scores this season, the lack of a batting cushion has had a domino effect on their bowling strategy – DC were one bowler (Vipraj Nigam) light, which meant Sanju Samson paced his unbeaten 87 brilliantly to take CSK home.

Badani pointed out that the game was effectively lost for DC in the first 10 overs with the bat. “You would ideally want a Starc and Ngidi bowling at the top. Yes, there is merit to your question about Vipraj coming into play. That's exactly the reason why we have him as an impact option. That option is available to us when we bat well. The minute we bat well, we don't have to go to the extra batter and you bring in Vipraj.

“If it's a surface which has a bit more pace or is slightly pace friendly, then you have someone like Auqib (Nabi) who's in the impact options. Those options are pretty much there, but the bottom line is we have to play good cricket.

“We can have multiple conversations about a lot of permutations and combinations, but the end result is when you play good cricket, these things just fall in place. I thought the game was lost in the first 10 overs when we didn't get enough. We were about 70 for 5. You don't want to be 70 for 5 even if it's a tough surface," said Badani in the post-match press conference.

What makes it worse is that DC’s squad imbalance is purely self-inflicted. The decision to carry three overseas batters while relying on domestic seamers to shoulder the bowling load was always a gamble. When that plan failed, DC pivoted, but it cost them the presence of David Miller, as they chose to bring back Nissanka in Jaipur when Sahil Parakh picked an injury.

Against CSK, those compromises converged: Nissanka again failed to get a substantial score, and Nigam sat unused on the bench. It meant DC’s powerplay record in IPL 2026 took another beating - they have now lost 21 wickets in the first six overs in ten matches, averaging just 23.85 runs per wicket at a run-rate of 8.35, with nearly half their deliveries - 46.4 percent – being dot balls. On all four measures, no franchise has fared worse.

Moreover, in spin-friendly conditions, DC decided to play Karun Nair ahead of Rizvi, who’s stronger in facing spinners. Despite the tactical mis-steps, Badani refused to pinpoint individuals, and instead called for a collective lift as DC find themselves in the perform or perish territory.

"As a side, you obviously don't want to be 60/5 or 50/5. That's not the position any side wants to be. Any coach, when he has to answer this question, the reply would be very straightforward that ideally you want to be 100/1 or 120/1. That's not the situation that any side wants to be.

“But then it comes to a point where you have to make a decision and that's pretty much where we are. If we are 50/5, the only option is to bring in a batter and that's the way forward. I think collectively as a side, we need to play better. I don't think I would pinpoint Axar.

“If you're 76 all out in a game, one game you've got 265 on the board and you don't defend that. You lose one game by one run and You lose another game like this when you're 60/5. So it's not one person. We'll have to play better cricket as a side and that's the bare facts of life.

“But then it comes to a point where you have to make a decision and that's pretty much where we are. If we are 50/5, the only option is to bring in a batter and that's the way forward. I think collectively as a side, we need to play better. I don't think I would pinpoint Axar.

“If we can try and get that in the next few days, for the next few games, I think we should be okay. I know it's crunch time for us and we all recognize that. Everyone understands that in the dressing room and the dugout. Everyone knows that this is where we are now. It's as simple as that - just perform or perish,” he concluded.

Article Source: IANS