The Indian Premier League has been the biggest franchise cricket league since its inception in 2008, and there is no doubt that every former or current player from around the world would like to experience what it’s like being part of this family.
Former English batter Ian Bell, now 44 years old and retired from the game since the end of the 2020 domestic season, has finally fulfilled his long-held ambition, maybe not as a player, but as an assistant coach for Delhi Capitals in the 2026 season. “When I retired, IPL was certainly the number one [league] that I wanted to experience,” Bell told ESPNcricinfo.
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Bell’s selection does not come as a total surprise. While the batter, with over 13,000 international runs, was known as a red-ball stalwart for his elegant batting style during his playing days, he later also built an impressive coaching CV with real T20 experience, including stints with New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England Lions, and several major T20 franchises around the world.
His breakthrough into the IPL ecosystem came after forming a strong coaching association with the GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals. Since then, Bell has featured in the coaching dugout of GMR-affiliated teams like Dubai Capitals and Seattle Orcas, gradually building strong relationships with DC Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao and Head Coach Hemang Badani, and eventually fulfilling his ambition of working in the IPL.
Bell described his IPL journey so far in a simple statement, “It’s been a rollercoaster. Until you are here in India during IPL season, you probably don’t quite get it. It is everything everyone’s talking about, wherever you go… You can see why every player and coach wants to be here, really,” said Bell.
He reflected on his first-time experience and on his emotions while observing DC’s season so far, which has been full of ups and downs. In a matter of days, the Axar Patel-led side went from the high of scoring 264 to the low of the lowest power play score. “That’s the skill, isn’t it? You want to stay as level as possible. There’s a lot of emotion flying around, but it’s important as a coaching staff that, whether we’re in the dugout or reviewing things, it’s not emotional. It has to be really clear. We’ve had some incredible games,” Bell said.
Bell, known for his stylish cover drives, further spoke about what it’s like working with another great stylish player of this modern era, KL Rahul, who has stood out with his performances for DC this season, scoring 445 runs so far and emerging as one of the contenders for the Orange Cap.
One noticeable shift in Rahul’s game this season has seen his transition from an anchor’s role to a more aggressive top-order batter, adapting his approach to the evolving demands of T20 cricket with a strike rate above 180.
Bell is a KL fan!
Bell praised how KL Rahul has managed to be aggressive in the powerplay as per the requirements of the team and the pace of the league, while still maintaining his stylish and natural shot-making abilities instead of just slogging like many modern T20 batters to keep the scoreboard ticking.
“What KL has managed to do this season — certainly in that 150 [152 not out vs Punjab Kings] — was to score at a high strike rate, but still playing his way; still playing proper cricket shots, not going away from his strengths. For a guy who has played [so much] and done so well in the IPL to keep adapting, keep looking to get better, is a great role model for the rest of our squad,” Bell praised Rahul.
Highlighting Rahul’s adaptive qualities, Bell added, “Anchor’s not the right word, but I like intelligent players. KL, for me, fits into that brand.”
Bell, who represented the England cricket team in 279 matches across Tests and ODIs, managed to make just 8 T20I appearances. His limited opportunities in T20 cricket never allowed him to participate in the IPL as a player, but he maintains no regrets about the career he had had despite his IPL ambitions.
“I don’t have any regrets about missing anything out in my career, but I would’ve certainly loved to have been part of a team. If I could have spent two months of my life with Sachin Tendulkar or Rahul Dravid back in the day, that would’ve been absolute gold,” Bell concluded.