He retired from competitive cricket in 2018 but played in a few overseas and legends leagues after his retirement.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, a former Mumbai Indians (MI) player has been appointed as the bowling coach of Delhi Capitals (DC). A few reports suggested this development a few days back, and a confirmation has finally come from the Delhi Capitals’ official handle.
Munaf Patel, former World Cup and IPL-winning pacer, will join DC’s new-looking coaching unit ahead of the next season. He will replace DC’s former bowling coach, James Hopes, whose contract wasn’t renewed after Ricky Ponting departed from the coaching team last month.
He retired from competitive cricket in 2018 but played in a few overseas and legends leagues after his retirement. Munaf doesn’t have too much experience in the coaching department, for he has never been in any role of such kind at this level.
Also Read: Aiden Markram Set to Go Unsold in IPL 2025 Auction? Signs Don’t Look Good for the South African Star
Munaf has played in 86 matches for India across three formats, snaring 125 wickets at an average of 32.30, and his final appearance in India colours came during an ODI against England in 2011. He was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad, where he took 11 wickets at 32.09 runs apiece, including a four-wicket haul against Bangladesh.
Munaf has also featured in 63 IPL games and represented three different franchises – Rajasthan Royals (2008-2010), Mumbai Indians (2011-2013), and Gujarat Lions (2017). He was part of Mumbai Indians’ maiden IPL-winning campaign in 2013.
He has 74 IPL wickets at an average of 22.94 and a strike rate of 18.31, comprising two four-wicket and a five-wicket haul. Munaf will join a freshly appointed coaching team, including Venugopal Rao as the Director of Cricket and Hemang Badani as the head coach.
Delhi Capitals have overhauled their coaching department, and the focus is on recruiting Indians for various roles. Munaf Patel’s inclusion is another step in the same direction.
Delhi Capitals (DC) retained four players before the auction – Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, and Abishek Porel, who is uncapped – spending INR 47 crores on these options. They will go into the auction with the third-biggest purse of INR 73 crores and hope to bring specialists for each role with a big budget.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
