Ian Bell joins Delhi Capitals as assistant coach
Bell, 43, joins a Capitals side that narrowly missed out on a playoffs berth in 2025
ESPNcricinfo staff
Feb 10, 2026, 2:20 PM
Ian Bell has worked with Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred • Roy Smiljanic/Birmingham Phoenix
Ian Bell, the former England batter, has been appointed assistant coach of Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2026 IPL season, the franchise announced on Tuesday.
Bell, 43, joins a DC side that narrowly missed out on a playoffs berth in IPL 2025, finishing fifth after falling short by one point in the league standings. He will work alongside head coach Hemang Badani and team mentor Kevin Pietersen in a coaching group that also includes director of cricket Venugopal Rao and bowling coach Munaf Patel.
The England great is now a Dilliwala :blue_heart::heart:
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) February 10, 2026
Welcome home, Ian Bell :house_with_garden::relieved: pic.twitter.com/UqYE53rbrx
A veteran of 118 Tests, 161 ODIs and eight T20Is for England, Bell brings extensive international experience to the role. He was most prolific in Tests, scoring 7727 runs with 22 tons and 46 fifties. Since retiring, he has been involved in coaching roles with England's junior teams, including age-group sides, before making the move to the IPL setup.
He also worked with the Sri Lankan Test team as batting coach during the tour of England in 2024, and was briefly involved with the New Zealand men's team during their tour of England that preceded the 2023 ODI World Cup. Bell has also served as assistant coach of Birmingham Phoenix in the Men's Hundred.