Delhi Capitals Head Coaches In IPL From 2008 To 2026

Former DC Mentor Sourav Ganguly and Former DC coach Ricky Ponting (Source: AFP)Delhi Capitals are set for a coaching overhaul before the IPL 2027. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is expected to take over as head coach, and former Sri Lanka pace spearhead Chaminda Vaas is lined up as bowling coach.Additionally, legendary Indian batter Yuvraj Singh is also set to join the franchise as the batting coach, while former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra will also become part of the Delhi Capitals support staff in the IPL 2027, as reported by multiple media outlets.The move brings a major reset to Delhi’s dugout ahead of the next ownership cycle. It also unites quality international pedigree with extensive IPL experience.Notably, among the high-profile names mentioned above, Sourav Ganguly already has a long-standing association with Delhi Capitals, serving in multiple roles.Sourav Ganguly’s previous association with Delhi Capitals franchisePopularly known as “Dada” in the Indian cricket fraternity, Ganguly joined the franchise as an Advisor in March 2019, working closely with the then-head coach Ricky Ponting. However, he stepped down later that year due to conflict-of-interest rules upon becoming the BCCI President of the BCCI.After completing his tenure at the BCCI, Ganguly returned to the franchise as the Director of Cricket, overseeing operations and squad building behind the scenes in both the leagues, the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as the Women’s Premier League (WPL).Apart from that, he also expanded his role within the broader franchise network by serving as the head coach of DC’s sister franchise, Pretoria Capitals, in the 2025 edition of the SA20.As Sourav Ganguly prepares to join the Delhi-based franchise, ahead in this article, let’s take a look at the list of Delhi Capitals head coaches over the years.1) Greg Shipperd (2008-2011)Australian cricket coach Greg Shipperd was appointed as the coach of the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the first IPL season, 2008.Shipperd played 112 first-class matches in domestic cricket. After retiring, the Aussie decided to pursue coaching as a career.Also read: Delhi Capitals Approach Anil Kumble For IPL 2027; Rishabh Pant To Join Camp, KL Rahul AwayShipperd overlooked the franchise in its first 4 IPL editions, from 2008 to 2011.Under Greg Shipperd’s coaching, the team had a mixed run in their first four IPL seasons, featuring two strong playoff runs followed by a mid-table finish and the bottom finish in 2011.2) Eric Simons (2012-2013)Following the disastrous IPL 2011, finishing last in the table, the franchise sacked Greg Shipperd.In December 2011, the then-Indian bowling coach and the former South African bowler, Eric Simons, replaced Shipperd as the head coach of DC for the next IPL season.Simons had previously served as the team’s bowling coach before taking on the leading role.During the 2012 season, he led Delhi to the playoffs, finishing at the top of the table in the league stage before exiting in the knockouts.However, the following season, they finished 9th and last, losing 13 of the 16 matches they played.3) Gary Kirsten (2014-2015)India’s World Cup-winning coach, Gary Kirsten joined the Delhi Capitals for the 2014 and 2015 IPL seasons.Kirsten was appointed in September 2013 on the three-year contract after finishing his successful tenure as India’s head coach.Despite his proven pedigree as a coach, the IPL team struggled to find momentum under his guidance. Notably, DC won only 7 of 28 matches across two seasons, 2014 and 2015. They finished last in 2014 and second-to-last in 2015.The franchise’s owners, GMR Group, decided to part ways with him in December 2015 ahead of the 2016 season, cutting his three-year contract short to two.4) Paddy Upton (2016-2017)In March 2016, the Capitals appointed Paddy Upton as the head coach, along with former Indian batter Rahul Dravid as team mentor.Upton had just won the Big Bash League with Sydney Thunder, before also coaching Lahore Qalandars in the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL).During his tenure as the head coach, the Delhi Capitals finished 6th in the 2016 IPL season and 6th in the 2017 season, missing the playoffs both years.5) Ricky Ponting (2018-2024)Ahead of the 2018 edition, one of the most successful captains in the international cricket, winning 5 ICC titles for Australia, Ricky Ponting took over the Delhi Capitals’ coaching set-up in 2018.Also read: How Much Money Do Ricky Ponting, Ashish Nehra, And Other IPL Head Coaches Earn?The team finished last in the league in his first season as coach but then qualified for the playoffs in 2019, 2020 and 2021. In 2020, DC made the IPL finals for the first time, where they came as runners-up to Mumbai Indians.However, they did not qualify for the playoffs in any of the last three years and finished sixth in IPL 2024, winning and losing seven games each in the season.Thus, ahead of IPL 2025, Ricky Ponting and Delhi Capitals ended their seven-year association.6) Hemang Badani (2025-2026)Former India batter Hemang Badani took over as the head coach at Delhi Capitals for the IPL 2025.The appointment was seen as a part of the decision taken by the DC ownership to overhaul the coaching staff and the overall running structure of the franchise.Badani, who played four Tests and 40 ODIs for India, previously played a role on the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) coaching staff in IPL 2022.During Badani’s tenure, DC finished fifth in the 2025 and sixth in the 2026 edition of the IPL.In both seasons, the Capitals had shown a glimmer of hope. However, they eventually failed to capitalise on the momentum.Following two unsuccessful seasons, Hemang Badani has been sacked from the role ahead of the 2027 season, with Sourav Ganguly, expected to take over the role. Also read: Rajeev Shukla Reveals What Mohsin Naqvi Told Him After India Women Objected Trophy