Balaji Suggests Kuldeep Yadav May Be Tired After T20 World Cup
L Balaji points to Kuldeep Yadav’s seven wickets in 11 IPL games as a problem for Delhi Capitals, and says Punjab Kings’ openers are behind their slump.
By SportCricket Desk · 11 May 2026 · 2 min read
Former pacer L Balaji believes Kuldeep Yadav’s lack of wickets is hurting Delhi Capitals and has suggested the wrist spinner could still be feeling the effects of the T20 World Cup.
Kuldeep’s numbers
Balaji noted that captain Axar Patel has been very economical, but that Kuldeep has not given Capitals enough support. The left-arm wrist spinner has taken seven wickets in 11 matches at an average of 50.29 and an economy rate of 10.67.
Speaking on Star Sports, Balaji said Kuldeep did not play many games at the World Cup, yet featuring in a big tournament may still have left him fatigued. He stressed that middle-overs wickets are vital in modern T20 cricket and that their absence, tied to Kuldeep’s form, has hampered Delhi this season.
He further observed that several key Delhi batters have failed to deliver consistently, adding to their IPL 2026 struggles.
Punjab’s slump
Turning to Punjab Kings, Balaji linked their back-to-back defeats to poor returns from their opening pair. He compared it with Sunrisers Hyderabad’s problems last season, when uneven starts from key batters affected results.
