Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has been appointed as the new head coach of the Delhi Capitals (DC) franchise ahead of the IPL 2027. Ganguly has replaced Hemang Badani in the head coach role, who had been at the helm for two years.
Ganguly's relationship with the Delhi Capitals began in 2019, when he joined as an advisor. He has held a variety of leadership positions throughout the Capitals' organization, including Director of Cricket for both the men's and women's teams.
Ganguly was strongly connected with the franchise's head coach position in recent months after missing the IPL playoffs the previous two seasons. With the outcomes not going their way, the auction's planning, tactics, and player recruitment have all come under scrutiny.
“I am looking forward to taking on the role of Head Coach in the IPL. Delhi Capitals is a franchise very close to my heart and one that I have shared a strong relationship with over the years. 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,” Sourav Ganguly said on his appointment as per the Delhi Capitals website.
DC co-owner Parth Jindal stated that Ganguly has always been an important part of the organization and expressed pride in his appointment as head coach.
“Dada is and has always been an integral part of the Delhi Capitals family. I am incredibly proud and honored 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. 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," he said in a statement.
DC appointed Badani as their head coach before the IPL 2025 season in view of the team’s failure to make it into the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. The appointment was made alongside another one involving Axar Patel, who was named the DC captain.
Nonetheless, the situation did not change as DC continued to perform poorly in 2025 and 2026 without making it to the playoffs; hence, Badani was let go.
