Former India batter Hemang Badani has been appointed as the new head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC) for the IPL 2025 season. Alongside him, Venugopal Rao, another former India cricketer, has been named the director of cricket for the franchise.

Badani takes over from Ricky Ponting, who recently parted ways with DC after seven successful seasons as head coach. Rao will step into the role previously held by Sourav Ganguly. These changes are part of the franchise’s decision to revamp its coaching staff and overall structure, as they aim for their first-ever IPL title. Additionally, DC has chosen not to renew the contract of Pravin Amre, who served as the assistant coach and talent scout since 2014.

In a broader restructuring effort, Delhi Capitals' co-owners, GMR Group and JSW Sports, will alternate their leadership roles for both the IPL and WPL teams every two years. For the next two seasons, GMR Group will oversee the men's team, while JSW Sports will manage the women’s team in 2025 and 2026. Sourav Ganguly, who had been involved with the IPL team, will now take over as director of cricket for the WPL until 2027, when he is expected to return to the IPL setup.

In a statement, the franchise said that key decisions such as auctions, captaincy, player releases, and retentions for both teams will be jointly decided by the senior leadership of both groups.

Why Hemang Badani? Though Badani's appointment may surprise some, the former Tamil Nadu captain has built a strong coaching reputation in domestic T20 leagues. He has previously coached the Chepauk Super Gillies to three TNPL titles, where he helped develop young talent like current Tamil Nadu captain R Sai Kishore.

Badani’s success in the domestic circuit led to his role as fielding coach and scout for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022. He also brings international coaching experience, having been the assistant coach for Sunrisers Eastern Cape when they won the SA20 League and a consultant for the Jaffna Kings, winners of the Lanka Premier League.

Badani has also been involved with franchises under the Delhi Capitals’ umbrella, such as Dubai Capitals, where he was head coach when the team finished as runners-up in ILT20. He recently served as a coaching consultant for the Seattle Orcas in the Major League Cricket (MLC), another team with GMR Group’s backing.

Sourav Ganguly Appointed Director of Cricket for JSW Sports' Global Teams

India Bowled Out for 46 in First Test Against New Zealand

India Sets Record High T20 Score in 3-0 Series Win Against Bangladesh in Hyderabad