Ian Bell Delhi Capitals partnership was confirmed on Tuesday as the former England batter was appointed assistant coach ahead of IPL 2026.
Delhi Capitals have added former England batter Ian Bell to their coaching setup, appointing him as assistant coach ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. The franchise confirmed the appointment through its official social media channels on Tuesday (February 10).
Bell, who represented England in 118 Tests, 161 One-Day Internationals and eight T20 Internationals, will be stepping into the IPL environment for the first time in his career. While he has not previously been part of an IPL support staff, Bell brings considerable coaching experience following his retirement from professional cricket in 2020.
Since stepping away from the game, Bell has worked extensively with England’s development structures, including the England Lions and Under-19 teams. He also served as batting coach for the Sri Lanka Test side during their tour of England in 2024. In addition, Bell had a short stint with the New Zealand men’s team during their England tour ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup.
His coaching résumé also includes time as an assistant coach with Birmingham Phoenix in the Men’s Hundred, further broadening his experience across different formats and leagues.
At Delhi Capitals, Bell will be part of a coaching group led by Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, head coach Hemang Badani and bowling coach Munaf Patel. He replaces Australian Matthew Mott, who held the assistant coach role during IPL 2025, a season in which the Capitals made a strong start but ultimately finished fifth and narrowly missed out on a playoff spot.
