Former India batter Hemang Badani has been named new head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC) for IPL 2025. Along with Badani, DC have also appointed former India batter Venugopal Rao as the director of cricket.
Badani will take over from Ricky Ponting, who recently parted ways with the franchise after seven seasons as head coach, Meanwhile, Rao will replace former India captain Sourav Ganguly in the role. Both appointments are part of the decision taken by the DC ownership to overhaul the coaching staff and the overall running structure of the franchise which has never won the IPL.
The franchise, however, did not renew their association with Pravin Amre, who served as assistant coach and talent scout since 2014.
“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,” Badani said in a statement.
“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. I look forward to this new challenge ahead of a new IPL cycle,” said Rao, who played 16 ODIs for India.
As part of the operational rejig, the co-owners of DC – the GMR Group and JSW Sports – will swap the operational leadership roles every two years for their teams in the IPL and the WPL.
This means that the GMR Group will take over the men’s team for the next two seasons and JSW Sports the women’s team for 2025 and 2026. Consequently, Ganguly will take over as director of cricket in the WPL for the next two seasons.
The former India captain will switch back to the IPL from 2027 when JSW Sports will be back in charge. In a media statement on Thursday, the franchise said, “key decisions like auctions, captaincy, player release and retentions of both teams will be made by the Delhi Capitals’ board, and will be decided mutually by senior leadership of both groups.”
Badani, who played four Tests and 40 ODIs, brings with him an impressive coaching profile across leagues. Between 2021-23, he worked with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL as a fielding coach and a batting coach in successive seasons. He also coached the Jaffna Kings franchise to two consecutive Lankan Premier League titles. Badani also worked as a batting coach with the title wining Sunrisers Eastern Cape side in the inaugural edition of the SA20. The 47-year- old was also head coach of the Dubai Capitals side that reached this year’s ILT20 final.
Rao was a part of Deccan Chargers’ IPL- winning squad in 2009, before playing three seasons of the IPL with Delhi Daredevils (2011-13), and has also been part of Dubai Capitals, first as mentor in the inaugural season and then as director of cricket.
Welcoming the duo, DC CEO Sunil Gupta said, “Hemang and Venu have both been a part of the Capitals family, and are well-versed with our philosophy. We’re looking forward to working with them and achieving great things for Delhi Capitals.”