Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Vijay Dahiya has been reappointed as the head coach of the Delhi men’s cricket team for the 2026-27 domestic season. Dahiya takes over from Sarandeep Singh, who led the team for the previous two seasons. Notably, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Cricket Advisory Committee, chaired by Sarandeep, recommended Dahiya’s return.
This marks Dahiya’s fourth tenure as head coach for Delhi. He previously guided the team to their last Ranji Trophy victory in the 2007-08 season and held the head coach position during the 2012-13 and 2014-15 to 2015-16 seasons. He also led Uttar Pradesh to the Ranji Trophy semi-final in the 2021-22 season.
In addition to his domestic experience, Dahiya has an extensive coaching record in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Most recently, he served as assistant coach for Gujarat Titans and has previously been on the coaching staff for Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. In the recent Delhi Premier League, he managed the team Purani Dilli 6.
Joining Dahiya’s coaching team are former fast bowlers Parvinder Awana and Sanjeev Sharma, who will serve as bowling coaches. Kshitiz Sharma and Kuldeep Rawat have been appointed as assistant coaches. KP Bhaskar continues as the chief selector, with Manu Nayar and Praveen Gupta as selection committee members. Rajkumar Sharma, known as Virat Kohli’s childhood coach and a former Delhi bowling coach, has been appointed as the team mentor for senior and youth squads.
Delhi’s recent performance in domestic tournaments has been underwhelming, with only one victory in seven matches in the last Ranji Trophy and early exits in both the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophies. However, the Delhi Women’s team, led by head coach Dipti Dhyani, conquered the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy last year, besting Railways in the final.
Due to ongoing upgrades at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, including the installation of a sand-based outfield to improve drainage, Delhi will hold their home games at the Palam Air Force Ground. Meanwhile, the stadium recently hosted three T20 internationals between India and Afghanistan. Delhi’s Ranji Trophy journey will kick off against Bengal in Kalyani, and they are set to host Gujarat on 18th October and Services on 2nd November.
A men’s One Day International (ODI) between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled for 13th December at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Should renovations remain incomplete, the match venue might be shifted.
