‘In that silence, I could sense the amount of hard work boys had put in’: T Dilip recalls
Former Indian fielding coach T Dilip recently reflected on his time with the national side, highlighting a profound moment of quiet reflection following India's title-drought-breaking 2024 T20 World Cup triumph as the standout memory of his tenure.
A quiet moment in Barbados
Dilip served as the men's team fielding coach from 2021 until the conclusion of the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He later returned on a one-year contract for India's 2025 Test tour of the UK, concluding his tenure after the contract expired. His period with Team India coincided with major silverware, including victories at the 2024 and 2026 ICC T20 World Cups, as well as the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Speaking on JioStar, Dilip shared what made that victory in Barbados so unique:
"If I go back to my best moment, I think Barbados 2024, not just the trophy, but the dressing room atmosphere afterwards, the silence for a few seconds before it broke. I think in that silence, I could sense the amount of hard work the boys had put in over those four years. And I'll always keep that frame in my mind."
The evolution of the fielding medal ceremony
During Dilip’s stint, the post-match dressing room fielding medal ceremony became an iconic ritual, celebrated widely by fans—especially during the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India. Explaining his vision behind introducing the award, Dilip noted that the goal was to value a fielder's total contribution over single highlight-reel plays:
"What I thought was to recognise the overall impact as a fielder rather than just a spectacular catch. But what it brought in was that all the 11 players on the field, who may not be in the hotspots, had a feeling inside them that, 'A little contribution would get me that award.' That positive competition among the group had started and, automatically, players started to notice even small things while being on the field," he said.
He emphasised how the ritual fostered unity and elevated the profile of fielding within the squad:
"They celebrated when their other teammates did something exceptional. And that was a huge factor for me because, at the end of the day, the fielding medal is a team award. The players embraced it, fans supported it, and fielding got the recognition it deserved the most," he added.
Subhadeep Ghosh takes the reins
According to a report by Cricinfo, Subhadeep Ghosh has been named as Dilip's successor ahead of India's upcoming two-Test tour of Sri Lanka.
The 57-year-old former right-handed batter previously represented Assam and Railways across 17 First-Class and 17 List A matches during his domestic playing career. As a coach, Ghosh spent two years as the fielding coach for the India Women’s team—during which he was part of the support staff for the 2022 Women's ODI World Cup and the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup—and has also worked with India A alongside a stint as the head coach of Assam's senior men's team.
Looking ahead
India's upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka kicks off on August 15 in Galle, followed by the second Test starting on August 23 at the SSC in Colombo. (ANI)