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Hemang Badani is the leading candidate to replace Ricky Ponting as the head coach of Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2025. While Badani has experience as a fielding coach and scout for Sunrisers Hyderabad, he has not previously held a head coach position in the Indian Premier League. Another potential member of Delhi's support staff is Munaf Patel, a star of the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian team.
Hemang Badani to become Delhi Capitals' new head coach?
Delhi Capitals are reportedly seeking to appoint Indian coaches and is not interested in hiring another foreign head coach after Ricky Ponting. Badani and Munaf are currently the top contenders, with Munaf being considered for the role of bowling coach.
"DC management is looking at quality home-grown coaches and Hemang and Munaf's names have cropped up. A final decision is yet to be taken but in case of Munaf, it could be bowling coach's job," an IPL source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The appointment of Hemang Badani as head coach could signify a change in management for Delhi Capitals over the next two years. GMR, one of the team's co-owners (along with JSW), is believed to be taking control of the team's operations for this period.
The two co-owners reportedly have an agreement to micro-manage the team for two years each.
Badani, who has played 40 ODIs and four Tests for India but has no T20I experience, played a significant role in the 2001 series against Australia, scoring a century in one of the matches. Delhi Capitals has been unable to win an IPL title since the tournament's inception and has reached the final only once, in 2020. If Badani is appointed as head coach, he will face immense pressure to end the team's title-less run.
The deadline for IPL player retentions is approaching, and reports suggest that Delhi Capitals may retain only three players: captain Rishabh Pant (INR 18 crore), all-rounder Axar Patel (INR 14 crore), and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadavhttps://thesportstak.com/cricket/players/kuldeep-yadav-63187/overview (INR 11 crore).
Retaining five players would cost INR 75 crore, so Delhi Capitals might use their Right To Match (RTM) cards to retain Jake-Fraser McGurk and South African Tristan Stubbs if their auction prices are within the team's budget. These two players were significant contributors to the team last season.
