Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani had a rough day at the office on Tuesday, May 5. Badani was heavily trolled on social media after his team lost their second straight match to Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League 2026 season.
CSK did the double over DC this season, courtesy of sensational outings from Sanju Samson. Samson, who scored 115* in Chennai, followed that innings up with an unbeaten 87 on a tricky Delhi pitch. After Men in Yellow beat DC by eight wickets, CSK fans pulled up an old video of Badani, where he had heavily criticised Stephen Fleming, diminishing his achievements with the side.
In the video, first aired in 2024, Badani can be seen talking about Fleming. He said that Fleming is not a good coach, as the New Zealander had not won any major franchise tournament beyond the IPL. Badani claimed that Fleming only won because he had MS Dhoni at his disposal, and not because of the tactical nuances that he brought into the team.
“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 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.”
CSK fans took Badani to town after the side beat DC twice this season and called him out for the statements made in 2024, trolling the DC coach over the results.
Not only fans, but former cricketer Kris Srikkanth also criticised the DC coach for his over-the-top comments on Fleming. Srikkanth suggested that Badani should focus on his own sinking ship before critiquing others.
“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.”
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Srikkanth continued the onslaught, questioning Badani’s own tactical acumen.
“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.”
After the loss, Delhi Capitals continue to languish in the bottom half of the table with seven points from 10 games. They have lost four out of five home matches this season, a worrying trend that has compounded their struggles.
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