Jonty Rhodes reacts to missing out on India's fielding-coach role
Jonty Rhodes, a cricket legend from South Africa, has expressed his surprise at not being selected as India's fielding coach. This comes despite being recommended by Gautam Gambhir, the new head coach of the Indian team. The change in leadership occurred after India's T20 World Cup victory in June, with Gambhir succeeding Rahul Dravid and overhauling the support staff.
Rhodes's previous collaboration with Gambhir
Rhodes is renowned as one of cricket's finest fielders and had previously collaborated with Gambhir at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Despite Gambhir's departure from LSG in 2023 to rejoin Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the 2024 season, Rhodes continued his role as LSG's fielding coach. This professional history between the two was a contributing factor to Gambhir recommending Rhodes for the position within the Indian team.
BCCI's decision to retain T Dilip
Despite Rhodes's strong candidacy and extensive IPL coaching experience, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chose to retain T Dilip as India's fielding coach. This decision was influenced by a preference for an Indian coach in the role. Dilip is the only remaining member from Dravid's tenure and continues to play a vital role in Gambhir's new coaching setup.
Rhodes's response to BCCI's decision
In a recent podcast on the Aleena Dissects YouTube channel, Rhodes confirmed that Gambhir had indeed recommended him for the fielding coach role. He expressed his surprise at not being selected, despite his strong ties to Indian cricket and current residence in Goa. "Yeah! Can you believe it? I mean, they didn't want an international coach, and I'm so local," he said during the podcast.
Rhodes praises India's fielding standards
Despite his disappointment, Rhodes praised the efforts of T Dilip and R Sridhar, India's last two fielding coaches. He also commended MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for their role in improving the team's fitness standards. "I've taken my hats off to the last two Indian fielding coaches," he said during the podcast, highlighting their significant contributions to the team's success.
