‘He has to shut up’: Former BCCI chairman of selectors tells Delhi Capitals coach Hemang Badani to ‘mind his job’

Delhi Capitals faced a massive defeat against RCB on Monday and head coach Hemang Badani is now dealing with severe criticism.

Updated on: Apr 28, 2026, 13:29:53 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Kris Srikkanth, the former India captain and chairman of selectors, minced no words as he tore into the Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani following the team's nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Axar Patel-led side registered the lowest total of the ongoing edition of the tournament, after being bundled out for 75, and RCB chased the target down inside seven overs with nine wickets in hand.

Delhi Capitals faced a massive defeat against RCB on Monday (PTI)

Two days after allowing the Punjab Kings to register the highest-ever chase in T20 cricket (265), the Delhi Capitals witnessed totally contrasting scenes with the bat, and the hosts were bundled out for below 100. The latest showing prompted Srikkanth to remind Badani of how he had once taken potshots at Stephen Fleming, the head coach of five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Also Read: Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal breaks silence after Axar Patel & Co’s humiliation vs RCB: ‘Very tough to take’

Srikkanth urged Badani to stay quiet and mind his own business, rather than speaking about others, who have won quite a few titles. Delhi Capitals are currently seventh in the points table, and the side must win at least 5 of its remaining 6 matches to have any chance of reaching the playoffs.

"On top of all this, Hemang Badani went after Stephen Fleming. Hey Hemang. First, take care of yourself before talking about others. I have always said this: 'in life, don't talk too much'. He spoke too much. Now, he has to shut up and watch stuff happening," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

“Everybody is bringing this up and slamming him. Why talk about others? You should have been mindful of your job. Who are you to say Stephen Fleming won only because of MS Dhoni? What have you done? Anything special? Nothing,” he added.

What did Badani say?

Two years ago, Badani took potshots at the former New Zealand captain, saying CSK's trophies are down to Dhoni, not Fleming. He said that Fleming has yet to win any trophy as head coach other than the IPL, and hence, the credit belongs to Dhoni.

"If Fleming is such a big coach, why hasn't he won anywhere else apart from the IPL?" Badani had asked, pointing to Fleming's stints in the SA20, The Hundred, and the Big Bash League. He went as far as to say, “CSK are winning because of Dhoni. Dhoni is the kingpin... if someone says Fleming is a good coach, I won't agree to it,” Badani had said in an interview with Yo Mahesh.

Speaking of the Delhi Capitals, the side will next take on the Rajasthan Royals on Friday, May 1. Mitchell Starc is set to play for the Delhi franchise in the fixture against the inaugural champions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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