Delhi Capitals appoint Ian Bell as assistant coach ahead of IPL 2026

Delhi Capitals have appointed former England batter Ian Bell as assistant coach ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 season. The franchise confirmed the development on social media on Tuesday, February 10.

Bell, a veteran of 118 Tests, 161 ODIs and 8 T20Is, has never been involved with an IPL setup before, marking his first foray into the league as a coach. Since retiring from all cricket in 2020, he has built significant coaching experience, working with the England Lions and Under-19 teams. He also served as batting coach for the Sri Lankan Test team during their 2024 tour of England.

Additionally, Bell was briefly involved with the New Zealand men's team during their England tour ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup and has served as assistant coach for Birmingham Phoenix in the Men's Hundred.

At the Capitals, Bell will join a coaching staff led by Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, head coach Hemang Badani, and bowling coach Munaf Patel. He replaces Australian Matthew Mott, who was assistant coach during IPL 2025, where the Capitals finished fifth after a strong start, missing the playoffs.