Delhi Capitals have added former England batter Ian Bell to their coaching staff as assistant coach ahead of the IPL 2026 season. The franchise announced the appointment on Tuesday, marking Bell’s first coaching role in the IPL.
Bell enjoyed a distinguished international career, playing 118 Tests, 161 ODIs, and eight T20Is for England before retiring in 2020. While he has not previously worked in the IPL, Bell has built steady coaching experience over the last few years across international and franchise setups.
He has worked with the England Lions and Under-19 teams and served as Sri Lanka’s batting coach during their Test tour of England in 2024. Bell was also briefly involved with the New Zealand men’s team during their England tour ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup and has coached in The Hundred as an assistant with Birmingham Phoenix.
At Delhi Capitals, Bell joins a support staff led by Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, head coach Hemang Badani, and bowling coach Munaf Patel. His appointment comes after Matthew Mott’s exit, who was part of the Capitals’ coaching group during IPL 2025.
Delhi Capitals finished fifth last season after a promising start, narrowly missing the playoffs. Bell’s inclusion adds batting expertise and international coaching exposure as the franchise looks to sharpen its approach for IPL 2026
