Published: May 28, 2025, 01:23 PM (IST)
Edited: May 28, 2025, 01:23 PM (IST)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a surprising U-turn by bringing back former fielding coach T. Dilip, who was previously sacked. He will now travel to England as part of India’s support staff for the upcoming five-Test series starting next month.
According to The Indian Express, the board had been searching for a foreign fielding coach but was unable to find a suitable replacement. “We have decided to reappoint Dilip for a year and he will be travelling with the Indian team for England. His contract so far is for one year,” a source in the Indian board confirmed as quoted by Indian Express.
Dilip has been a long-serving member of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, having worked closely with current players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, as well as with previous generations. Veteran off-spinner Ravi Ashwin once praised him as a “celebrity coach” crediting him for significantly enhancing India’s slip catching skills.
The Indian Express also confirmed that the Indian team will travel with head coach Gautam Gambhir, fielding coach T. Dilip, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate.
India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill, is expected to skip the second warm-up match at Northampton on June 6. Currently leading the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, Gill’s team has made it to the playoffs, with the final set for June 3.
If Gujarat makes it to the final, it would leave Gill with just two days to travel to England. To avoid the rush and allow him some much-needed rest before the demanding 46-day tour, the team management has decided to give him a breather.
The five-match Test series between India and England will begin on June 20 and will be the first match of the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
