The Hundred franchise Southern Brave have appointed Hemang Badani as head coach for their men’s team, with Ian Bell set to serve as his deputy.

This comes one month after Bell was roped in as Heman Badani’s deputy at the Delhi Capitals in the IPL. Under Badani’s guidance, the Delhi Capitals impressively started that season and quickly emerged as one of the dangerous sides.

However, the momentum slipped in the latter half of the tournament, and the Capitals ultimately missed out on the playoffs.

Despite that late dip, the franchise remains confident in Badani’s ideas and leadership.

The DC owners, GMR, acquired Southern Brave last July. Badani, who was named as Delhi Capitals head coach ahead of the 2025 season, has been involved in coaching roles with other GMR owned franchise (Seattle Orcas in MLC and Dubai Capitals in ILT20) across the globe.

Hemang Badani has a well-deserved coaching resume across several global franchise leagues.

Meanwhile, Ian Bell has worked closely with developing talent through England’s U19 and Lions Programmes. He also spent time as batting coach for the Sri Lanka National cricket team during their 2024 tour of England, bringing valuable international experience to the role.

Southern Brave have already built a reputation as one of the most competitive sides in The Hundred. They etched their name in The Hundred winners’ list after lifting the title in 2021 and reaching the finals in 2024.

With a rich coaching experience from Badani and Ian Bell and an understanding of England conditions, the Brave will be hoping for an exciting title challenge in the 2026 season.