Kuldeep Yadav during a practice session.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel, right, and coach Hemang Badani during the IPL T20 match against Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley cricket stadium in New Delhi on May 05, 2026.
| Photo Credit: R.V. MOORTHY

Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming. “I just wonder if we are now seeing the true product of T20 cricket coming to the fore,” said Stephen Fleming. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

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.

File image of Sourav Ganguly.© X (Twitter)

Former India cricketers Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao have been appointed as head coach and director of cricket, respectively, as Delhi Capitals unveiled their new coaching staff ahead of the 2025 IPL on Thursday. The 47-year-old Badani, who represented India in four Tests and 40 ODIs, brings an impressive coaching background across various leagues. From 2021 to 2023, he served as a fielding coach with Sunrisers Hyderabad and as a batting coach in successive seasons. He also led the Jaffna Kings to two consecutive titles in the Lankan Premier League and was a batting coach for the title-winning Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the inaugural SA20.

Most recently, he was the head coach of the Dubai Capitals, who reached this year’s ILT20 final.

“It’s my absolute honour to be joining Delhi Capitals, and I’m deeply grateful to our owners for trusting me with the job,” Badani said in a release.

“With the mega auction around the corner, my job, in collaboration with the rest of our coaching staff, is cut out. I can’t wait to get started.” Rao, who has played 16 ODIs for India, was part of the Deccan Chargers squad that won the IPL in 2009. He also played in three IPL seasons for erstwhile Delhi Daredevils and has been associated with the Dubai Capitals, serving as a mentor in the inaugural season and later as director of cricket.

“My association with the franchise has been a long-standing one, and I am thankful for the trust our owners have placed in me by offering me this role,” Rao said.

“I look forward to this new challenge ahead of a new IPL cycle.” The Capitals were runners-up in the 2021 edition but have struggled to reach the top four in the subsequent three seasons.

“We are delighted to welcome Hemang and Venu to Delhi Capitals. Both have been an integral part of our team for a long time, and we’re excited to have them on board in a different role,” said Kiran Kumar Grandhi, chairman & co-owner of Delhi Capitals.

“With their proven track record as coaches, we’re confident that their expertise will be invaluable in helping us achieve our objectives and drive success for Delhi Capitals.” PTI ATK ATK AH AH