Jonty Rhodes Likely to Join Team India as Fielding Coach – Report

Jonty Rhodes, the former South African cricket legend, may be appointed as the new fielding coach for Team India. While his appointment has not been officially confirmed, the BCCI is reportedly considering him for the role.

Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the head coach of Team India is expected to conclude after the T20 World Cup 2024, with Gautam Gambhir likely to succeed him. The BCCI is expected to make an official announcement in July.

Additionally, there have been reports indicating that Gautam Gambhir has been given the authority to select the support staff and coaching team he prefers. As per RevSportz, Jonty Rhodes might be given the expertise of fielding coaching.

Notably, Jonty Rhodes had previously applied for the role of fielding coach for the Indian team in 2019 but was not included in the shortlist. R Sridhar was reappointed, as then-head coach Ravi Shastri preferred to have him on his coaching team.

Rahul Dravid, upon becoming head coach in 2021, brought Paras Mhambrey and T Dilip to manage the bowling and fielding departments. They had previously worked together at India A and the National Cricket Academy before joining the senior Indian team.

Gautam Gambhir and Jonty Rhodes’ IPL Connection

During their time at the Lucknow Super Giants, Gautam Gambhir and Jonty Rhodes worked together closely. Gambhir acted as the team’s mentor for two years, while Rhodes contributed as the fielding coach.

When Gautam Gambhir moved to Kolkata Knight Riders as a mentor for IPL 2024, Jonty Rhodes continued with Lucknow Super Giants. If selected as the fielding coach for Team India, it’s improbable he’ll continue coaching at LSG in the IPL.