The Indian Premier League has transformed coaching into a highly lucrative part of the game, with franchises investing heavily in experienced names behind the scenes. Players are no longer the only ones commanding huge salaries, as the league's biggest franchises have also been willing to spend substantial sums on coaches with international experience and proven IPL records.
According to a report by CricBlogger, Ricky Ponting and Ashish Nehra were among the highest-paid coaches, with several other prominent names also commanding multi-crore packages.
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The IPL 2026 season featured a mix of experienced international coaches, former players and specialists in the coaching setups of all 10 franchises. Several teams retained familiar faces, while others relied on former international stars in key support roles.
Here is a team-wise look at the coaching staff that worked with the franchises during the 2026 season:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru continued with Andy Flower as their head coach in IPL 2026. The coaching group also included former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who took charge of the batting department.
Omkar Salvi continued as the bowling coach, while Richard Halsall worked as the assistant coach. M. Rangarajan was part of the setup as a scout.
Head Coach: Andy Flower
Batting Coach: Dinesh Karthik
Bowling Coach: Omkar Salvi
Assistant Coach: Richard Halsall
Scout: M. Rangarajan
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Chennai Super Kings remained under the guidance of Stephen Fleming, who continued his long association with the franchise. Michael Hussey was part of the batting setup, while Sridharan Sriram and Eric Simons handled the bowling responsibilities.
Rajiv Kumar worked as the team's fielding coach.
Head Coach: Stephen Fleming
Batting Coach: Michael Hussey
Bowling Coaches: Sridharan Sriram, Eric Simons
Fielding Coach: Rajiv Kumar
Mumbai Indians had Mahela Jayawardene as their head coach in IPL 2026. The franchise also had former all-rounder Kieron Pollard working with the batting group.
Paras Mhambrey and Lasith Malinga were the bowling coaches, while Carl Hopkinson was responsible for fielding.
Head Coach: Mahela Jayawardene
Batting Coach: Kieron Pollard
Bowling Coaches: Paras Mhambrey, Lasith Malinga
Fielding Coach: Carl Hopkinson
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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Kolkata Knight Riders were coached by Abhishek Nayar during the 2026 season. Former New Zealand captain Tim Southee joined the setup as bowling coach, while Shane Watson worked as the assistant coach.
Dishant Yagnik was the fielding coach and former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo served as mentor.
Head Coach: Abhishek Nayar
Bowling Coach: Tim Southee
Assistant Coach: Shane Watson
Fielding Coach: Dishant Yagnik
Mentor: Dwayne Bravo
Gujarat Titans continued with Ashish Nehra as their head coach. The former India pacer has been closely associated with the franchise since its entry into the IPL.
Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden worked as the batting coach, while Aashish Kapoor, Narender Negi and Parthiv Patel were part of the coaching staff as assistant coaches.
Head Coach: Ashish Nehra
Batting Coach: Matthew Hayden
Assistant Coaches: Aashish Kapoor, Narender Negi, Parthiv Patel
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Rajasthan Royals were led by Kumar Sangakkara in the coaching department. Vikram Rathour was the batting coach, while former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond handled the bowling department.
Trevor Penney was part of the setup as the assistant coach.
Head Coach: Kumar Sangakkara
Batting Coach: Vikram Rathour
Bowling Coach: Shane Bond
Assistant Coach: Trevor Penney
Punjab Kings had one of the most experienced coaching figures in the IPL at the helm, with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting serving as head coach.
James Hopes was the bowling coach, while Brad Haddin worked as the assistant coach. Sairaj Bahutule was brought in as the spin coach.
Head Coach: Ricky Ponting
Bowling Coach: James Hopes
Assistant Coach: Brad Haddin
Spin Coach: Sairaj Bahutule
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Lucknow Super Giants continued with Justin Langer as their head coach. Matthew Mott worked with the batting group, while former India bowling coach Bharat Arun handled the bowling department.
Lance Klusener and Abhay Sharma were also part of the coaching staff, while former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson served as an advisor.
Head Coach: Justin Langer
Batting Coach: Matthew Mott
Bowling Coach: Bharat Arun
Assistant Coach: Lance Klusener
Fielding Coach: Abhay Sharma
Advisor: Kane Williamson
Delhi Capitals were coached by Hemang Badani during IPL 2026. Former India pacer Munaf Patel worked as the bowling coach, while Ian Bell was part of the setup as an assistant coach. Venugopal Rao served as the Director of Cricket.
Head Coach: Hemang Badani
Bowling Coach: Munaf Patel
Assistant Coach: Ian Bell
Director of Cricket: Venugopal Rao
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Sunrisers Hyderabad had Daniel Vettori as their head coach in IPL 2026. Hariesh Jaikumar worked with the batting group, while former India pacer Varun Aaron was the bowling coach.
Simon Helmot served as assistant coach, with Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan working as the spin coach.
Head Coach: Daniel Vettori
Batting Coach: Hariesh Jaikumar
Bowling Coach: Varun Aaron
Assistant Coach: Simon Helmot
Spin Coach: Muttiah Muralitharan
IPL coaches salary list - Who earns the most?
According to CricBlogger, Ricky Ponting was among the highest-paid coaches in IPL history. The report claimed that Ponting earned around ₹9.5 crore annually as Punjab Kings head coach.
Ashish Nehra was also reported to be earning close to Ponting's figure. The Gujarat Titans head coach initially started on a more modest contract but received a massive increase after guiding the franchise to the IPL title in 2022. Stephen Fleming was another major earner, with the Chennai Super Kings head coach reportedly earning around ₹7.5 crore annually.
The CricBlogger report also stated that former India batter Yuvraj Singh was set to earn more than ₹6 crore annually when taking over as batting coach of Delhi Capitals. Meanwhile, former India pacer Zaheer Khan was reported to have earned around ₹5 crore during his stint with Lucknow Super Giants.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid was reportedly paid around ₹4.5 crore by Rajasthan Royals, while several overseas coaches earned around the ₹4 crore mark. The list included Andy Flower at Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Justin Langer at Lucknow Super Giants.
The report also highlighted how dramatically coaching salaries have increased since the early years of the IPL. Foreign coaches were reportedly earning around ₹1.5 crore to ₹2 crore when the tournament began, while the leading names today command several times those figures.
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CoachFranchise/stint mentioned in reportReported salaryRicky PontingPunjab Kings₹9.5 croreAshish NehraGujarat TitansNearly ₹9.5 croreStephen FlemingChennai Super Kings₹7.5 croreYuvraj SinghDelhi Capitals₹6+ croreZaheer KhanLucknow Super Giants₹5 croreRahul DravidRajasthan Royals₹4.5 croreAndy FlowerRoyal Challengers BengaluruAround ₹4 croreJustin LangerLucknow Super GiantsAround ₹4 croreWhy are IPL franchises paying coaches so much?
The IPL season is played over a relatively short period, leaving coaches with little time to get their teams performing. Unlike international cricket, where coaches can work with players over longer cycles, IPL coaches are expected to make an immediate impact.
International experience
Former international captains and coaches bring years of tactical experience to the dressing room. Their understanding of different playing conditions, opposition teams and pressure situations makes them valuable to franchises.
Managing an IPL squad is another major part of a coach's job. Coaches have to handle a mix of Indian youngsters, established stars and overseas players while ensuring everyone understands their role.
Auction influence
Coaches are also increasingly involved in squad-building discussions. Their input can influence which players a franchise targets at the auction and how the final squad is structured.
Brand value
A high-profile coach can also add value to a franchise's identity. Big names from international cricket bring experience, credibility and recognition, making them attractive appointments beyond their tactical responsibilities.
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