"I missed my partner Kuldeep," said Axar Patel after DC's eight-wicket defeat to CSK earlier this week - their fourth in a row at home. As KKR extended the streak to five on Friday, Axar reiterated, "spinners made quite a few mistakes", on a day he himself returned 1/27 from four overs in an innings that went at 10.66. The numbers paint a telling story. Across these two games, DC spinners collectively returned 2/161 in 16 overs (ER: 10.06), compared to the 6/117 in 19 overs (ER: 6.15) by their visiting counterparts.

Largely down to Kuldeep Yadav and Axar, the combined T20 wickets tally for Indian spinners in the DC squad before the start of IPL 2026 was 664, well clear of the next best 525 for PBKS (largely down to Yuzvendra Chahal). With those two slots reserved, DC had a great chance to put up a settled XII, and strengthen their bowling with the choice and luxury of playing two overseas quicks. However, the bowling has struggled big time, and they're yet to crack the perfect combination after 11 games.

Kuldeep has been a major disappointment, with just seven wickets from 10 outings in the tournament. Of the 277 instances of a spinner bowling at least 25 overs in an IPL season, he's just the second to have gone at over 10 an over (10.66), only behind Ravi Bishnoi (10.83) in 2025. He has conceded 29 sixes in the process, a number matched by one and exceeded by four other bowlers for most in an edition, none of whom have played fewer than 15 games.

It may be noted that Kuldeep has bowled all his overs outside of the Powerplay, 85% of them in the middle-phase. The combined economy rate for spinners in Overs 7-15 in IPL 2026 has been 8.72, Kuldeep has gone at 10.14. He has finished his four-overs quota in just five of the 11 games (wasn't required against RCB wherein DC were bundled out for 75). Against SRH, DC preferred the part-time option of Nitish Rana, with two overs each of him and Axar unused.

That Kuldeep, a strike-bowler who is expected to provide breakthroughs, has gone wicketless in six of his 10 outings adds to the misery. His strike-rate has been 28.2, well higher than 16.8 across his T20 career, and the form has directly impacted DC's fate. DC started IPL 2025 with five wins from their first six games, the wrist-spinner bagging 11 wickets in the period (ER: 6.04). He managed just four (ER: 8) in the next seven, and DC lost five of those, narrowly missing the playoffs spot. That slump from the second half has extended this season.

DC have just won two games (one via a Super Over) out of 11 in Delhi in the IPL since 2025. Kuldeep has bagged six wickets in these 11 matches at 57, while going at 9.5 per over.

Kuldeep Yadav for DC

Spinners have often operated in T20s keeping the matchups in mind. The striking feature of Kuldeep's IPL career has been that he has had identical numbers against the righties and lefties, his variations making him a potent weapon against either batting hand. However, he has consistently missed his lengths in IPL 2026, more a function of reactive bowling, and that has reflected in his numbers. That aspect has made the lines and the variations immaterial, with batters pouncing on anything short or overpitched.

Kuldeep Yadav in the IPL

Kuldeep by lengths in IPL 2026

The 11 deliveries he pitched at a length were taken for 27 by the KKR batters on Friday, while the five in a back-of-a-length zone yielded two singles. He dropped it further short twice, and was dispatched into the stands on both occasions. Overall, of the 10 deliveries he's banged halfway into the pitch, six have gone for maximums.

Axar has already hinted at possible changes in the XII with an eye on the next season. Following an underwhelming run, Kuldeep could be the one to make way for one of the two uncapped spin-bowling all-rounders on the bench - Tripurana Vijay and Ajay Jadav Mandal - with three games to go.