Former Indian batter Venugopal Rao, who played 16 ODIs for India between 2005 and 2006, is likely to replace Sourav Ganguly as the Director of Cricket for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Meanwhile, his former India teammate, Hemang Badani, is expected to take over as the franchise’s new head coach. According to a report from Cricbuzz on Wednesday, October 16, the search for new support staff has concluded, and Badani will replace Ricky Ponting as head coach.
Badani, who previously worked alongside Brian Lara with Sunrisers Hyderabad, will be assuming his first head coach role in the IPL if he secures the DC job. The former Tamil Nadu batter represented India in four Tests and 40 ODIs between 2001 and 2004, including an ODI century against Australia in the famous 2001 series. Ponting, associated with Delhi Capitals since 2018, parted ways with the franchise in July 2024 and has since taken on the role of head coach for Punjab Kings.
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“Hemang Badani will take charge as head coach for the upcoming two seasons, and Venugopal Rao will serve as the team’s Director of Cricket,” stated the Cricbuzz report. Known for their strong professional relationship, Badani and Venugopal have been granted the authority to select the rest of the coaching staff.
Both Badani and Venugopal have previously worked with the franchise’s subsidiaries, including the ILT20 team Dubai Capitals and the Major League Cricket team Seattle Orcas, both owned by Delhi Capitals co-owner Kiran Kumar Grandhi of the GMR Group. The JSW Group, co-owner of Delhi Capitals, alternates management responsibilities with the GMR Group every two years.
As for the 2025 season, Delhi Capitals are expected to retain key players like skipper Rishabh Pant (Rs 18 crore), all-rounder Axar Patel (Rs 14 crore), and wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav (Rs 11 crore). Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk and South African Tristan Stubbs may also be retained through the Right to Match (RTM) card, provided their price tags fit the team’s budget.