Former India fielding coach T Dilip looked back on his five years as India’s fielding coach, and Star Sports shared a clip of him reflecting on the memories that stayed with him. The Hyderabad coach joined the senior side in November 2021 under Rahul Dravid and remained the one constant when Gautam Gambhir took over. His contract was not renewed after the recent white-ball assignments, and Subhadeep Ghosh has already been named as his replacement ahead of the Sri Lanka Tests.
In the Star Sports conversation, Dilip spoke about Barbados 2024 being the one game that will stay with him forever. Suryakumar's catch at the T20 World Cup Final being his most cherished moment. “Winning the World Cup through a catch and fielding being part of such a big occasion is the best feeling as a fielding coach. I cannot put it in words. This is one of the best feelings of my life. Coming so close to winning the ODI World Cup was painful and we are glad that we could cross that hurdle in a T20 World Cup” he said.
During those five years India had two T20 World Cup triumphs in 2024 and 2026, the Champions Trophy victory in 2025, Asia Cup titles in 2023 and 2025, as well as runner-up finishes in the 2023 ODI World Cup and World Test Championship. finalist. Dilip was there for all these occasions, and he is the one person players repeatedly credited for becoming better fielders.
One of his most famous celebrations was the ‘Best Fielder’ medal handed out after matches. What started as a simple way to recognise effort turned into a proper dressing-room tradition. Players valued it, and the excitement it created became one of the things Dilip said he will carry with him.
"Five years. It is difficult to find the right words for a journey that has meant so much. When I first walked into this setup, I came in with one simple intention, to give everything I had every single day. Fielding has always been my way of contributing to the game I love, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have played a part in this team's journey.” he wrote on instagram.
Rohit Sharma called him a workhorse who created magic within the group. Dilip’s own farewell note was quieter. He simply said five years were hard to sum up, that he had walked in wanting only to give everything every day and that the memories would stay with him. After his departure, Dilip shared a farewell message on Instagram, thanking the team and reflecting on his journey.
