From IPL hat-trick hero to coach: Amit Mishra returns to Delhi Capitals

Former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra has joined Delhi Capitals as spin-bowling coach ahead of IPL 2027. The 43-year-old, who retired in September 2025, claimed 174 IPL wickets and holds the record for most hat-tricks in the tournament's history

New Delhi: Former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra has been appointed spin-bowling coach of Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2027 IPL season. The appointment marks Mishra’s return to the franchise with which he began his IPL journey, this time in a coaching role.

Mishra, 43, retired from all forms of the game in September 2025 and will take up a coaching assignment in the league for the first time.

---

“I don’t know about legends, but I did really decent in IPL. Dilli dilwallon ki hai (Delhi is of the people with a large heart). When the first season of IPL was held, I was a part of DC. Today, when I am starting my coaching career, it’s also with the DC team, and so, I am very happy.

“A tiger is the one who never leaves his prey. Dilli is my heartbeat. We will try to give the happiness to the Dilli fans, which they have been waiting for these many years,” Mishra said in a video posted on the franchise’s social media handles on Wednesday.

Delhi Capitals, who finished sixth in 2026, are yet to win the IPL title. Mishra’s IPL career began memorably in 2008, when he took a five-wicket haul in his first match, a spell that included the first of his three hat-tricks in the tournament.

He went on to take two more hat-tricks, in 2011 and 2013. No bowler has taken more hat-tricks in the league’s history than Mishra, who represented Haryana in domestic cricket.

Known for his flighted, slow leg-breaks, Mishra featured in every IPL season from 2008 to 2024, except 2022. He represented Delhi Capitals, previously known as Daredevils, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants.

He played his last IPL match for LSG in 2024 and finished his playing career in the league with 174 wickets from 162 matches at an economy rate of 7.37.

Mishra represented India across formats between 2003 and 2017, playing 22 Tests, 36 ODIs and 10 T20Is.

IANS had reported on September 14 that Mishra, along with fast-bowling coach Chaminda Vaas and assistant-cum-batting coach Yuvraj Singh, was present at the franchise’s short camp-cum-trials at a ground in Aerocity.

The overhaul of the support staff stems from an arrangement between DC’s co-owners, GMR Sports India Pvt Ltd and JSW Sports, reached after IPL 2024. Under the arrangement, each partner runs the franchise’s cricket operations in alternate two-year cycles.

Delhi Capitals, who have former India captain Sourav Ganguly as their new head coach, have also been active in the trade window. They sent left-arm pacer T Natarajan to Sunrisers Hyderabad and brought in leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari.

They had earlier traded wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow Super Giants and brought back Rishabh Pant in return.