The Delhi Capitals' home fortress is starting to feel more like a house of cards. After their fourth consecutive loss at the Arun Jaitley Stadium—this time an eight-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026—head coach Hemang Badani found himself fielding tough questions about his team's tactics and performance.

Let's rewind the tape: DC won the toss and elected to bat first, but a disastrous top-order collapse left them reeling at 70 for 5 in the first 10 overs. On a surface that has been anything but predictable this season—swinging from a record-breaking 265-run chase to dramatic batting collapses—the Capitals simply couldn't find their footing. CSK, clinical as ever, chased down the target with ease, handing DC their fourth home loss of the campaign.

When asked if the decision to bat first backfired, Badani didn't mince words. "We don't have any control over the surfaces," he explained in the post-match press conference. "It is a lot easier for a side to field 20 overs and then understand what the surface would be when they bat second, and that is pretty much what happened."

The coach was quick to point out that the pitch preparation at their home ground is out of the franchise's hands, despite the venue being their own backyard. "It has been a bit of an up-and-down curve for us to understand what we are going to get at Delhi. One game was a 265, but there is little control that any side has on surfaces."

Still, Badani acknowledged that the game was lost in those opening overs. "I thought the game was lost in the first 10 overs when we didn't get enough. You don't want to be 70 for 5, even if it is a tough surface."

For DC fans, the inconsistency at home is becoming a worrying trend. With the playoffs race heating up, the Capitals will need to find answers—and fast—whether the pitch cooperates or not.