After India’s T20 World Cup triumph in June, the team entered a new phase of leadership, with Gautam Gambhir taking over as head coach from Rahul Dravid. This shift brought with it a significant overhaul of the support staff, as Gambhir was granted the freedom to assemble his own team, pending BCCI approval. Among the names on his radar was Jonty Rhodes, South Africa’s legendary fielder.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest fielders in cricket history, Rhodes had previously worked with Gambhir during their time together at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). While Gambhir left LSG in 2023 to rejoin Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the 2024 season, Rhodes remained as LSG’s fielding coach. Gambhir played a crucial role in leading KKR to their third IPL title that year, with Shreyas Iyer captaining the side.
Given Rhodes’ long association with Indian cricket and his extensive experience coaching in the IPL, it came as no surprise when his name was considered for India’s fielding coach position. Rhodes, who currently resides in Goa, was a strong contender. However, the BCCI ultimately decided to retain T Dilip, preferring to keep an Indian coach in the role. Dilip, the only holdover from the Dravid era, remains a key part of the new coaching setup under Gambhir.
Rhodes, however, has now broken silence on the entire process, confirming that Gambhir had indeed suggested his name for the role.
“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),” the South African said during a podcast on Aleena Dissects YouTube channel.
Rhodes on India’s fielding standards
The South African former batter, however, was all praise for the T Dilip and R Sridhar – the last two fielding coaches – and commended MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for elevating the side’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.”
