Hemang Badani, posing with the ILT 20 trophy, bats for an environment where the players can play their own game
| Photo Credit: Instagram/hemangbadani76
Former India cricketer Hemang Badani added another feather to his cap as a coach after masterminding Dubai Capitals to the ILT20 league title last week.
Badani’s other titles as a coach include the Lanka Premier League (Jaffna Kings) and the SA20 with Sunrisers Eastern Cape, where he was the batting coach. Prior to that, he had won four titles in the Tamil Nadu Premier League.
His latest success has come at the right time, as he prepares for his first stint as the head coach of Delhi Capitals in the IPL this year.
“The way I approach a tournament is with a lot of preparation where I try to figure out the strength of my side and what clarity I can give to players. I also do a lot of in-depth research on the opposition and their strengths and weaknesses,” said Badani about his process.
“Most importantly, allow the players to play with freedom. At times, players get tied down with the expectation of results. So you have to create an environment where they can play their own game.”
Considering there is not much time to prepare before the tournament, the Capitals’ coach feels developing trust very early is crucial. “The key thing is to build a rapport with the players. I usually get in touch with the players two months before the tournament so that you can develop that trust and buy-in from them,” explained Badani.
As the teams prepare for the IPL, Badani is gearing up for his most formidable challenge.
When asked if there is more pressure on Indian coaches, the 48-year-old said, “to an extent, it could be because there are only a few, but if you see the graph in recent times, Ashish Nehra and Chandrakant Pandit have won a title each in the last three years. I have nothing against overseas coaches but feel Indians can understand the local players, culture and the surfaces a team might encounter.”
“Unlike 15 years ago, we have many more former players who have taken coaching courses, and I would like to see more Indian coaches in the IPL.”
Delhi acquired a strong core of players in last year’s auction, and the former Tamil Nadu cricketer is confident about the season ahead.
“We have got all our bases covered, but having a good side is one thing and delivering it on the field is a whole different thing. We got the first title for Capitals in Dubai and hope we can do something similar here,” said a confident Badani.
Published – February 18, 2025 08:28 pm IST
