Indian Fielding Coach T Dilip Reveals Name Of Team's 'Jonty Rhodes'
Indian cricket team fielding coach T. Dilip is one of the few members of the side who have now been part of two T20 World Cup-winning campaigns.
Indian cricket team fielding coach T. Dilip is one of the few members of the side who have now been part of two T20 World Cup-winning campaigns. He joined the team in 2021 under Rahul Dravid, and since then, he has seen India win the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups, the 2025 Champions Trophy, along with multiple continental titles. Nothing gives him more satisfaction than watching his players take fabulous catches.
Like the seemingly impossible catch taken by Axar Patel in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England. Dilip calls him the "Jonty Rhodes" of the side. "It all depends on the context. Axar's effort in the semi-final was the best," Dilip told NDTV.
"It is so pleasing to see the team come out trumps in crunch moments. The T20 World Cup win was like a family gathering. Full credit to Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav for how they care for all members of the side. It's good leadership from both of them. Thanks to the BCCI, Rahul Dravid, and Gautam Gambhir for trusting me."
Dilip added that over the last two years, the attitude towards fielding has changed. "We will see more aggressive fielding in the coming days."
India beat New Zealand convincingly by 96 runs in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday in Ahmedabad, becoming the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win consecutive titles, and the only team to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026).
Sanju Samson's 89 off 46 balls at the top of the order in the final, along with contributions from Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Shivam Dube, helped India post a mammoth 254 in the first innings.
Samson's knock was the highest score of the match. Notably, it was his third consecutive fifty and yet another match-defining innings. He had earlier scored an unbeaten 97 in a do-or-die Super 8s clash against West Indies and followed it up with an 89 against England in the semi-finals.
India Cricket Team
Axar Patel