Ian Bell Appointed Assistant Coach of Delhi Capitals Ahead of IPL 2026

Former England batter Ian Bell has been appointed assistant coach of Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League season, the franchise confirmed on Tuesday.

Bell, 43, joins a Delhi Capitals side that narrowly missed qualification for the playoffs in the 2025 season, finishing fifth in the league table after falling short by just one point. He will be part of an experienced coaching group led by head coach Hemang Badani, alongside fellow assistant coach Matthew Mott and team mentor Kevin Pietersen. The support staff also includes director of cricket Venugopal Rao and bowling coach Munaf Patel.

One of England’s most accomplished batters of the modern era, Bell represented his country in 118 Tests, 161 One-Day Internationals and eight Twenty20 Internationals. His strongest format was Test cricket, where he amassed 7,727 runs at the international level, including 22 centuries and 46 half-centuries.

Since retiring from professional cricket, Bell has steadily built his coaching credentials. He has worked extensively with England’s junior and age-group teams and gained experience across multiple international setups. In 2024, he served as batting coach for Sri Lanka during their Test tour of England, while he was also briefly involved with the New Zealand men’s team during their tour of England ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Bell has further experience in franchise cricket, having previously served as assistant coach of Birmingham Phoenix in the men’s competition of The Hundred. His appointment adds to Delhi Capitals’ growing emphasis on experienced international voices as the franchise looks to push deeper into the playoffs in the upcoming IPL season.