T Dilip To Continue As India Coach Despite India's Shambolic Fielding

T Dilip with Rohit Sharma [Source: AFP]

T Dilip is set to continue as fielding coach of the India national cricket team. The report has emerged at a time when former Netherlands cricketer Ryan ten Doeschate has expressed his desire to leave the team as its assistant coach. 

However, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir is yet to sign off on Doeschate’s request.

India retains World Cup winning fielding coach

T Dilip will likely continue to serve as the fielding coach of the Indian national side, as per a recent Cricbuzz report. The Telangana-born coach is already familiar with the current Indian setup, making his continuity a seamless move despite changes within the support staff.

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Dilip was first appointed as India’s fielding coach back in late-2021 under then head coach Rahul Dravid. Under T Dilip’s guidance, India’s fielding standards have witnessed a noticeable improvement.

T Dilip’s journey with Team India

T Dilip first joined the Indian men’s cricket team as its fielding coach in late-2021 under Rahul Dravid. Under his guidance, India’s fielding standards raised significantly, as evidenced by the team’s dominant run across all formats, especially in white-ball cricket. 

Indian players started producing sharper catching, more agile ground fielding and a greater consistency in converting half-chances into wickets. The team’s exceptional fielding was one of the defining features of its runners-up campaign at the 2023 World Cup at home.

During the tournament, Dilip also introduced an unofficial post-match fielding medal ceremony inside the dressing room to mark a unique initiative aimed at rewarding the team's best fielder after every game.

Moreover, excellent ground fielding and boundary catching even sparked India’s historic 2024 T20 World Cup win in the Caribbean the following year. One of the defining moments of the entire competition occurred in the final over of the title clash when Suryakumar Yadav snared an absolute boundary blinder against South Africa. 

Dilip was eventually removed from the team’s coaching setup shortly after India’s shambolic 1-3 Test series defeat in Australia in early 2025. However, prior to the England tour, he was retained as India’s fielding coach by the BCCI as they did not intend to find his replacement just before a high-profile series.

As of now, T Dilip continues to operate under head coach Gautam Gambhir, and works closely with senior Indian players and youngsters alike as national fielding coach across all formats.

Ryan ten Doeschate seeks India exit

Former Netherlands cricketer Ryan ten Doeschate, meanwhile, is considering to move on from the Indian team. He was appointed as India’s assistant coach a couple of years ago when former opening batter Gautam Gambhir took over the head coaching responsibilities from an outbound Rahul Dravid. 

A Cricbuzz report indicates that Ryan has already informed the BCCI about his decision. The report further states that the ex-Netherlands cricketer wants to leave the team to be with his family back home in London. 

India’s ongoing ODI series against England might well be Doeschate’s final gig for the ‘Men in Blue’.

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