As reported by Cricinfo in June, DC, who have never won the IPL title and finished sixth in 2026, were expected to change the coaching staff that was in place for the last two seasons: Venugopal Rao (team director), Hemang Badani (head coach), Munaf Patel (bowling coach), and Ian Bell (assistant coach).
“Delhi Capitals is a franchise very close to my heart, and one that I have shared a strong relationship with over the years,” Ganguly said in a statement. “I have worked closely with the owners, management, support staff and players, which makes this an exciting responsibility for me.
“We have a talented group and have played a good brand of cricket in the recent past. I am looking forward to working with the squad, the new season, and building a strong and fearless team.”
The change is in line with the arrangement reached between DC’s co-owners – GMR Sports India Pvt Ltd and Jindal South West (JSW) Sports – after IPL 2024, which is that each owner will control franchise operations in alternating two-year cycles.
Ganguly has a long-standing association with DC.
He was appointed JSW’s director of cricket in 2024, and had been DC’s mentor for a season in IPL 2019 before he became the BCCI president. In the SA20 2025, Ganguly served as the head coach at Pretoria Capitals – his maiden foray as a coach – and has also been involved with the DC team in the Women’s Premier League.
“Dada [Ganguly] is and has always been an integral part of the Delhi Capitals family. I am incredibly proud and honoured to announce that one of the greatest Indian captains and administrators is now stepping into coaching by taking over as the head coach of the Delhi Capitals,” Parth Jindal, DC chairman and co-owner and founder of JSW Sports, said. “I am excited to see him take on this role and I’m sure that under his guidance and visionary leadership Delhi Capitals will be best prepared to challenge for the IPL title. I cannot wait for all our players and staff to learn from Dada and am looking forward to seeing DC in action at the earliest.”
“[Ganguly] has played an important role in strengthening our cricketing structure. His deep understanding of the franchise, coupled with his experience and leadership, will be invaluable as we move forward,” Kiran Kumar Grandhi, DC co-owner and founder of GMR Sports, said. “We are delighted to have him take charge as Head Coach and look forward to seeing him bring his vision and cricketing expertise to the team. We wish him every success as he begins this exciting new chapter with Delhi Capitals.”