New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Former white-ball stalwart Yuvraj Singh is all set to join the Delhi Capitals as the franchise’s batting coach for the 2027 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The assignment marks the first official coaching stint in the cash-rich league for the legendary left-hander, who played the last of his 132 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians in 2019 before retiring from competitive cricket. India’s player of the tournament in both the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup, Yuvraj has previously worked closely as a personal mentor to top Indian batters including current India skipper Shubman Gill, world No. 1 ranked T20 international batter Abhishek Sharma, and former Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant.
The high-profile appointment comes amid a complete overhaul of the Delhi Capitals’ coaching staff, triggered by a management transition. Under a pre-existing ownership agreement, co-owners JSW and GMR take turns managing the operations of the men’s team in two-year blocks, with JSW taking the reins for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Consequently, the coaching trio of Venugopal Rao, Hemang Badani, and Munaf Patel—who were brought on board by the GMR group—will make way for a new support staff. Sourav Ganguly is set to return to the forefront as the Director of Cricket, and it is understood that Ganguly, who served as Yuvraj’s first international captain, was a driving force behind bringing the flamboyant southpaw on board. While Ganguly’s administrative role will extend across JSW’s other cricket properties including the Pretoria Capitals in SA20 and the DC Women’s team, Yuvraj’s responsibilities will be strictly focused on the DC men’s lineup.
The strategic shakeup follows consecutive seasons where the Delhi Capitals failed to qualify for the IPL playoffs, drawing heavy criticism for their squad selection, auction strategies, and on-field planning. In addition to the coaching changes, a major roster shakeup is brewing behind the scenes involving a potential high-profile trade-off with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Sources indicate that DC and LSG are exploring a trade deal that could see star spinner Kuldeep Yadav and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant switch sides, potentially paving the way for Pant’s return to Delhi. Financial details under discussion suggest that Pant, who is prepared to exit Lucknow, would take a significant pay cut from his previous ₹27 crore valuation, while Kuldeep’s contract would transition at its current ₹13.25 crore mark.
