Yuvraj Singh jokes he’s been Sourav Ganguly’s assistant for 25 years after joining Delhi Capitals coaching staff
Yuvraj Singh accepted the assistant coach role at the Delhi Capitals on 2026-10-14, reuniting with Sourav Ganguly, and responded wittily when Ganguly offered him the post. He told reporters he had effectively been Ganguly’s assistant for 25 years and welcomed the opportunity to join the coaching setup.
Ganguly was the man under whom Yuvraj’s international career took its first steps and blossomed, and the reunion links Yuvraj’s playing past with his new coaching role. Yuvraj described a period of preparation ahead of taking up the Delhi Capitals job, saying he had worked with players individually and viewed being part of the full team environment as a different experience he was excited about.
On being asked to be the assistant, Yuvraj said: "Dada told me, 'Would you be my assistant?' And I was like, 'I've been your assistant for the last 25 years, so I'll probably be doing the same job!' I was very happy to do it. I've been building myself up over the last three to four years for this opportunity. I have worked with players individually, but being part of the entire team environment will be a different experience, and I'm really excited about it," said Yuvraj.
Yuvraj framed his relationship with Ganguly in mentorship terms and pointed to specific lessons learned under his former captain. "The best thing I learnt from Dada was how to create a good team environment. When he was captain and I made my debut, he kept us together. He made us believe that we could become a great team and win tournaments outside India. He has always been like a big brother to me, whether it was helping me understand selection, mentoring me or showing me what it takes to become a good international cricketer. I'm looking forward to working with him, understanding his insights and sharing mine," he said.
On objectives with the franchise, Yuvraj set qualification as the initial aim while stating a clear ultimate ambition. "We definitely have the ability, and that's why Dada and I are coming in — to bring that belief back. Our first target is to qualify, but we are here to win the championship, and I don't see why we can't do that. Just because it hasn't happened in the past doesn't mean it can't happen in the future. We want to build a squad and an energy that is ready to fight, take on any opposition and perform in any situation," he said.
Yuvraj previously had a playing stint with the Delhi Capitals during which the team failed to reach the playoffs, and he said he was keen to help the franchise turn a new page in the upcoming season. Delhi Capitals have already made roster moves, acquiring Rishabh Pant from LSG and Zeeshan Ansari from SRH via trades while letting go of Kuldeep Yadav and T Natarajan.
Yuvraj and Ganguly will be aiming to end Delhi's wait for an IPL title, and the club has begun work on that objective through its recent trades and the new coaching appointments.
