John Mooney has been appointed as the fielding coach of Delhi Capitals (DC) for the upcoming 2026 season of the Indian Premier League. In doing so, he becomes the first individual from Ireland to be part of an IPL franchise’s coaching staff. 

Mooney replaces last season’s fielding coaches Gnaneswara Rao and Anton Roux and joins a well-rounded support staff. The coaching unit is led by head coach Hemang Badani, alongside bowling coach Munaf Patel, assistant coach Ian Bell, and director of cricket Venugopal Rao. 

Mooney brings valuable international coaching experience to the role. He previously worked with the Afghanistan national cricket team as a fielding coach between 2018 and 2019, a period that included their historic Test debut in India. 

He has also been part of the West Indies national cricket team coaching setup in 2019 and served as a temporary coach for the Ireland women's national cricket team. 

During his playing days, Mooney was a reliable allrounder for the Ireland national cricket team. He featured in 64 ODIs and 27 T20Is between 2006 and 2015, representing Ireland in major tournaments including the ICC Cricket World Cup (2007, 2011, 2015) and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup (2009, 2010). 

After retiring in 2015, Mooney pursued coaching qualifications through the England and Wales Cricket Board, completing Levels 1, 2, and 3 certifications. His structured coaching background and international exposure make him a strong addition to DC’s setup. 

The Delhi Capitals are still chasing their first IPL title. They finished fifth in the 2025 season, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. 

With Mooney’s appointment, DC will aim to strengthen their fielding standards—an increasingly crucial aspect in modern T20 cricket—as they look to break their title drought in IPL 2026.