There will be an overhaul in the Indian team management following the T20 World Cup, with Rahul Dravid’s stint ending after the tournament. Gautam Gambhir is among the leading names in the race for Dravid’s successor, and it seems BCCI will also be naming a new fielding coach.
According to RevSportz, former South Africa star Jonty Rhodes is being considered for the position in India’s new management. Although the former Proteas cricketer hasn’t received a formal approach yet, his name is among those being discussed, according to the report.
Rhodes previously applied for the role of India’s fielding coach in 2019 but was not shortlisted. At that time, R Sridhar was reappointed as the fielding coach because then-head coach Ravi Shastri preferred to keep his core team intact, which included B Arun as the bowling coach and Sridhar as the fielding coach.
The head coach typically selects their assistants, and Shastri had a consistent support team during his tenure. When Rahul Dravid was appointed head coach in 2021, he brought Paras Mhambrey and T Dilip with him to oversee the bowling and fielding departments, respectively. The trio had previously worked together for India A and at the National Cricket Academy before joining the Indian senior team. This coaching unit will be replaced after the T20 World Cup, making way for new appointments.
Jonty Rhodes, renowned as one of the greatest fielders in cricket history, is currently the fielding coach for the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Prior to this, he spent many years in a similar role with the Mumbai Indians.
At LSG, Rhodes worked alongside Gambhir, who served as the team’s mentor. Gambhir left the Super Giants after the previous season to join this former side, the Kolkata Knight Riders, and played a key role in the side’s Indian Premier League title victory.
T Dilip is the current fielding coach of the side, and joined the team alongside Rahul Dravid when the latter was announced as the side’s head coach in late 2021.
Team India currently at T20 World Cup
The Indian team proceeded to the Super Eight stage in the T20 World Cup with relative ease, defeating Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA in their first three matches of Group A. India’s last match against Canada was washed out in Lauderhill but the side finished at the top of the group regardless, ending with 7 points in four games.
Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
