As IPL 2025 approaches its halfway stage, one trend is becoming increasingly clear: teams with strong captain-coach partnerships are thriving. Whether it’s Axar Patel and Hemang Badani, Ashish Nehra and Shubman Gill, or Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting — clear communication and mutual trust are driving success.

We saw a similar impact last year with Gautam Gambhir’s return.

This raises an important question: Is the IPL becoming more like football, where man-management takes centre stage? What exactly is the coach’s role — to offer technical input or to manage egos and personalities?

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Rishabh Beniwal dive into the evolving role of coaches and dissect the worst captain-coach combos of the season.

Tune in now!

Produced by Prateek Lidhoo

Sound mix by Suraj Singh