3 times a change of coach proved to be a masterstroke for an IPL team
It has been just over a month and a half since IPL 2023 came to a conclusion, but preparations for the next edition seem to be in full swing already.
A couple of franchises - the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) - recently made headlines over a change in coaching staff. While LSG announced the appointment of Justin Langer as their new head coach, reports have emerged of RCB moving beyond Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar.
Hesson was appointed the Director of Cricket Operations of the franchise ahead of IPL 2020 and has overseen the team fairly successfully for four seasons. He assumed the same role for the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) as well.
Bangar, on the other hand, was appointed the batting consultant of the team ahead of IPL 2021 before taking over the role of head coach for the next two seasons. With their contracts having expired, reports have emerged of the franchise looking elsewhere after they failed to qualify for the playoffs of IPL 2023.
It is worth noting, however, that RCB made it to the playoffs of the three seasons prior to that, coinciding with Hesson and then Bangar joining the franchise.
A change in guard has proved to be a masterstroke at times in the IPL, with a fresh coach bringing in fresh ideas that have overturned the fortunes of an underperforming franchise.
Let's take a look at three instances where changing the coach worked in favor of a franchise in the league:
#1 Mahela Jayawardene replacing Ricky Ponting at MI in 2017
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Under Ricky Ponting as head coach, MI won their second IPL crown in 2015. They failed to make the playoffs in 2016 before the franchise moved on and appointed Sri Lankan stalwart Mahela Jayawardene as the head coach.
The Jayawardene-Rohit Sharma partnership went on to become one of the finest in the IPL. They tasted instant success as they won a record third title in 2017 before backing it up with consecutive title triumphs in 2019 and 2020.
MI went on to establish themselves as the team to beat in the league and one of the finest to have played T20 cricket. While former South African wicket-keeper Mark Boucher took over the role of MI head coach ahead of the 2023 season, Jayawardene continues to remain associated with the franchise as their global head of performance across their sister sides across the world.
#2 Ricky Ponting replacing Paddy Upton at Delhi Capitals in 2018
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Ponting didn't coach an IPL team in 2017 but a gig with the Delhi Capitals (or Daredevils as they were called then) came by ahead of the mega auction in 2018. Paddy Upton and Rahul Dravid helmed a young team as head coach and mentor respectively for a couple of seasons before a fresh start followed.
While the Daredevils finished at the bottom of the pile in 2018, they underwent a rebranding as the Capitals, with Shreyas Iyer handed the full-time captaincy. They broke a six-season playoff drought with a hat-trick of qualifications from 2019 to 2021, also making the final of the 2020 season.
Ponting has often been credited with this turnaround even though some of the decision-making in crunch moments has come for criticism. The last couple of seasons may have been lackluster, but there's no denying that the Capitals under Ponting have been a marked improvement on the teams they put out on the park in the preceding seasons.
#3 Darren Lehmann replacing Robin Singh at Deccan Chargers in 2009
Ahead of the inaugural IPL season in 2008, many reckoned that the now-defunct Deccan Chargers were one of the strongest units on paper. Things turned out to be the exact opposite on the park, though, as they finished with the wooden spoon despite boasting a team full of superstars.
Robin Singh was the side's head coach but was replaced by Australian Darren Lehmann ahead of the 2009 edition in South Africa. Along with skipper Adam Gilchrist, the duo witnessed the Chargers script an incredible redemption as they lifted the title instantly before qualifying for the semifinals in 2010.
Lehmann would also go on to make a name for himself as Australia's head coach in the years to come, taking over from Mickey Arthur in 2013. His reputation as a coach skyrocketed soon after his stint with the Chargers, and bringing him on board proved to be a masterstroke for the one-time IPL winners.
Should RCB hand out a contract extension to Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar ahead of IPL 2024? Have your say in the comments section below!
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