Delhi Capitals may have pulled off a stunning chase against Punjab Kings in Dharamshala, but a familiar concern continues to linger—Kuldeep Yadav's form. Despite the team's thrilling three-wicket victory, the star spinner was notably absent from the playing XI, raising questions about his impact this season.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan didn't hold back in flagging Kuldeep's struggles as a significant worry for the franchise. "Kuldeep Yadav not being in form is a big problem for Delhi," Pathan told IANS. "The team depends heavily on him, especially on turning tracks where there's help from the pitch. If you still end up conceding runs and fail to pick wickets, it becomes a serious concern."

Kuldeep's IPL 2026 campaign has been far from his best. In nine matches, the left-arm wrist-spinner has managed just seven wickets while leaking runs at an economy rate of 10.4—the worst of his IPL career, surpassing his previous high of 8.7 in 2019 and 2024. He's gone wicketless in five outings and has only kept his economy under 10 runs per over twice this season, against Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Pathan, however, backed Kuldeep's class while raising the bar of expectations. "There's no doubt he is a very good bowler. But when your main spinner is going at over 10 runs per over, any team would expect much better performances," he said. "These are areas where Delhi could have done better, and perhaps the team would have seen improved results if things had gone according to their potential."

Delhi's win over Punjab was nothing short of spectacular—chasing down 211 with an over to spare after being reduced to 33/3 and later 74/4. But with Kuldeep on the sidelines, the question remains: can the Capitals afford to keep their star spinner out of the XI, or will they find a way to reignite his spark?