Munaf Patel
Bowling Coach, Delhi Capitals
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen recently joined Head Coach Hemang Badani’s DC unit as team mentor. But what a side that conceded 10 runs an over in the last season, might really benefit from are the services of Munaf Patel, a death-overs specialist whose accuracy and variations were well-known during his India days.
Dwayne Bravo
Mentor, Kolkata Knight Riders
The Chennai Super Kings veteran is expected to bring over 20 years of experience to the side, which has three seam-bowling allrounders and are without the services of former mentor Gautam Gambhir.
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Vikram Rathour
Batting Coach, Rajasthan Royals
The former India batting coach will join his colleague from the senior side—Rahul Dravid—to hone the talent of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, and 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
James Franklin
Bowling Coach, Sunrisers Hyderabad
The side allowed opposition chases to come close despite posting massive scores in 2024. The former Kiwi all-rounder, known for his economical spells and as the bowling coach of Islamabad United—the reigning champion of the Pakistan Super League—could prove invaluable.
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Parthiv Patel
Assistant/Batting Coach, Gujarat Titans
The appointment of a seasoned IPL veteran could have broader implications for a team that, in their third season, slipped to eighth on the points table after making two finals and winning in their debut season. That the core of the GT batting is made up of four talented wicket-keeping batters, is a different issue.
Zaheer Khan
Mentor, Lucknow Super Giants
With his experience and calm demeanour, Zaheer Khan will bring more to LSG as team mentor. His expertise in player development and scouting could prove to be the franchise’s most valuable asset. With over 100 IPL games across 10 seasons, his bowling nous (102 wickets) is likely to benefit Shamar Joseph, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep.
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Ricky Ponting
Head Coach, Punjab Kings
Ponting led the resurrection of the newly rebranded Delhi franchise, taking them to the playoffs in 2019, 2020 and 2021, after having earlier propelled Mumbai Indians to a championship in 2015. He will be reunited with Shreyas Iyer—whose rise he oversaw in the emerging DC setup in 2018-19—in the always flattering-to-deceive PBKS.
Mahela Jayawardena
Head Coach, Mumbai Indians
The five-time champions finished last in 2022 and 2024, and with a new core coming up around captain Hardik Pandya, the onus will be on Jayawardena to foster the next Kieron Pollards, Lasith Malingas and Rohit Sharmas for a team he’s previously coached to multiple titles.
To read more stories from Esquire India's February 2025 issue, pick up a copy of the magazine from your nearest newspaper stand or bookstore. Or click here to subscribe to the magazine.