Already sacked once, the Indian fielding coach is unlikely to get another extension

The two-year contracts of head coach Gautam Gambhir’s support staff will end after India’s ongoing white-ball tour of England, with coach T Dilip unlikely to get another extension.

It must be mentioned that pace bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate are also coming to the end of their two-year tenure after the tour. However, both have extension clauses in their contracts and from BCCI’s point of view, there is a strong desire to retain the duo.

Dilip, who joined the Indian team as part of Rahul Dravid’s coaching staff, was one of the most popular members of the support group and will be fondly remembered for his morale-boosting speeches and the introduction of the ‘Best Fielder Medal’ after every match.

T DILIP WAS FIRED AFTER BGT

He was the only member of Dravid’s coaching staff to continue after Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey stepped down following India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. However, following India’s disastrous Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign in Australia, Dilip was among two members of the Indian support staff who were relieved of their roles. He was later brought back in May 2025, just before India’s tour of England.

India’s fielding standards came under scrutiny last year, especially during the Asia Cup where the team dropped some crucial catches. Fielding also remained one of the few blemishes during India’s 2026 T20 World Cup winning campaign. Obviously, the BCCI has now decided to go in a different direction.

MORKEL, DOESCHATE LIKELY TO CONTINUE

India, meanwhile, are keen to retain Morne Morkel, who has earned praise for his work with the country’s fast bowlers across formats. Jasprit Bumrah, in particular, has reached the next level under Morkel, which was evident during India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign, where he finished as the outstanding player of the tournament.

India’s bowling attack has improved steadily over the past two years and with an important tour of New Zealand later this year, followed by the ODI World Cup in South Africa, Gambhir is expected to push for an extension to Morkel’s contract.

Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate is also expected to continue with the team. The former Netherlands captain has become an integral part of Gambhir’s coaching group over the past two years, working closely on player development and tactical planning.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

11 Jul 2026 22:59 IST