Former Ireland all-rounder John Mooney will run Delhi Capitals’ fielding drills this coming season, making him the first Irish coach on an IPL staff.
The 44-year-old steps in for Gnaneswara Rao and Anton Roux, who shared the brief last year. He joins a back-room group led by head coach Hemang Badani, with Munaf Patel handling the quicks, Ian Bell assisting across skills, and Venugopal Rao directing cricket operations.
“It’s a fresh challenge and I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty,” Mooney said in a short statement released by the franchise. Badani added, “John’s energy is infectious. We want that rubbing off on our group in the outfield.”
Experience on the circuit
Mooney has already logged time with three international sides. He was Afghanistan’s fielding coach from 2018-19, staying through their maiden Test in India. A stint with the West Indies men followed later in 2019, and he filled in with Ireland Women early last year. Those jobs came after he completed ECB Level 1, 2 and 3 coaching badges soon after retiring.
As a player, Mooney’s left-hand hitting and bustling right-arm seam carried him into 64 ODIs and 27 T20Is between 2006 and 2015. He played in three 50-over World Cups and two T20 editions, most memorably scoring the winning runs against England in Bangalore in 2011. “He’s always had a knack for decisive moments,” former Ireland captain William Porterfield noted. “If Delhi can bottle that, they’ll be better for it.”
What Delhi need
Capitals finished fifth last year, one spot short of the play-offs, and their catching efficiency hovered just below the league average. Analyst Snehal Pradhan reckons Mooney’s appointment is a logical tweak rather than a headline grab. “The squad isn’t short of power or pace. Shaving off ten dropped chances over a season could be the difference,” she said.
The franchise, still in search of a first IPL crown, opens its 2026 campaign in late March. Mooney’s first task will be a pre-tournament camp in Visakhapatnam, where the focus, by his own admission, will be “lots of repetitions, lots of honest conversations, and hopefully a few laughs in between.”
