Following India's successful T20 World Cup victory in June, the team underwent a significant change in leadership, with Gautam Gambhir assuming the role of head coach, replacing Rahul Dravid. This transition led to a major restructuring of the support staff, as Gambhir was given the authority to form his own team, pending approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). One notable name that Gambhir had in mind was Jonty Rhodes, the renowned fielder from South Africa.
Regarded as one of the finest fielders in the history of cricket, Rhodes had previously collaborated with Gambhir during their time together at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). While Gambhir departed LSG in 2023 to return to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the 2024 season, Rhodes continued to serve as LSG's fielding coach. Gambhir played a pivotal role in guiding KKR to their third IPL title that year, with Shreyas Iyer leading the team.
Given Rhodes' longstanding connection with Indian cricket and his extensive coaching experience in the IPL, it was not surprising that his name was considered for the position of India's fielding coach. Rhodes, who currently resides in Goa, was a strong candidate. However, the BCCI ultimately opted to retain T Dilip, choosing to have an Indian coach in the role. Dilip, the sole remaining member from the Dravid era, continues to play a crucial role in Gambhir's new coaching setup.
Rhodes has recently broken his silence on the matter, confirming that Gambhir did indeed propose his name for the position.
“Yeah! Can you believe it? I mean, they didn't want an international coach, and I'm so local. I mean, mera naam Jonty Rhodes! (I'm Jonty Rhodes) Come on. I'm based in Goa. Maybe because I'm based in Goa. Maybe I need to be in a metro (city),” Rhodes said during a podcast on Aleena Dissects YouTube channel.
The South African former batter spoke highly of T Dilip and R Sridhar, the last two fielding coaches. He also commended MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for raising the team's fitness standards.
“I've taken my hats off to the last two Indian fielding coaches. And it comes from captaincy. Under Dhoni… he had a lot of senior guys, and he just showed his physical ability, he still does at the end of his IPL career. Running between the wickets.... amazing, and he's 40. It's incredible. He certainly showed, just through his example, teh importance of fitness and strength,” said Rhodes.
“Then Virat Kohli took over, and it was a part of the selection criteria. If you don't pass the fitness standards, it doesn't matter how good you are. Everybody was treated equally, and it took India to becoming a good fielding team.”
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