Lakshmipathy Balaji analysed Kuldeep Yadav's performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 ahead of the Delhi Capitals' (DC) must-win clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday, May 11, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

The former India pacer noted that skipper Axar Patel has bowled economically but hasn't received much support from fellow spinner Kuldeep. The left-arm wrist spinner has only picked up seven wickets in 11 matches at an average of 50.29 and an economy rate of 10.67.

Balaji said that while Kuldeep didn't play too many games in the T20 World Cup, being a part of the marquee event could have led to fatigue. The 44-year-old also mentioned that Kuldeep's inability to pick wickets through the middle overs has hurt the Capitals in IPL 2026.

"Axar Patel has been extremely economical. Kuldeep Yadav has not met expectations in the wickets column. He is probably fatigued after the T20 World Cup, despite not playing so many matches there. Wickets in the middle overs are too important in modern-day T20 cricket. That's what's been missing with DC because of Kuldeep's form," Balaji said on Star Sports.

Balaji also highlighted the problems in the Capitals' lineup. The cricketer-turned-expert mentioned the inconsistency shown by the DC batters.

"Nissanka has been hit and miss. Sameer Rizvi got off to a brilliant start this season. But he has lacked consistency. If you only perform in two out of ten games, it won't help the team much. They traded in for Nitish Rana, but he hasn't been that valuable in their batting order. Stubbs and Miller have also not delivered," he added.

"Them not scoring has a similar adverse effect to SRH last year" - L Balaji on PBKS' openers

Balaji opined that the Punjab Kings have lost three matches on the trot after a stunning start to the season because the opening duo of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have not fired. He mentioned that the two youngsters were in prime form in the first half of the season, and that was a key factor in Punjab's enviable seven-match undefeated streak.

The former India pacer compared the situation to last year's Sunrisers Hyderabad campaign, where the Pat Cummins-led side struggled due to the dangerous opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma's dismal outings with the bat.

"PBKS' last three defeats are definitely connected to their two openers. Those two have scored most of their runs. Whenever PBKS won, the bulk of the runs came from Arya and Prabhsimran at excellent strike rates. Them not scoring has a similar adverse effect to SRH last year when Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma did not shine. How Shreyas Iyer performs in the remaining four matches will also determine how far PBKS go in the playoff race," said Balaji (via the aforementioned source).