Delhi Capitals, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, has appointed former India cricketers Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao as head coach and director of cricket, respectively. The announcement was made on Thursday ahead of the 2025 IPL season.
Badani, 47, brings a wealth of coaching experience to the role. He has served as fielding coach with Sunrisers Hyderabad and batting coach with the same team 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 honor to be joining Delhi Capitals, and I’m deeply grateful to our owners for trusting me with the job,” Badani said. “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.”
