Ranking top 10 IPL coaches of all time
A friendly coach who can be strict when needed would be an ideal candidate.
7) Paddy Upton
South African by birth, Paddy Upton is a professional cricket and mental coach by qualification. Upton cut his playing career short and started his coaching career as the strength and conditioning coach of the South African cricket team and then became a full-time coach for several international and franchise cricket teams over the years.
When Gary Kirsten was appointed as India’s head coach in 2008, he recommended the appointment of Upton in the dual role of Mental Conditioning coach and Strategic Leadership Coach. The duo did a wonderful job and guided India to the top of the Test rankings and also to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 title.
In the IPL, he coached the Pune Warriors in the 2012 season and moved to the Rajasthan Royals in the next season where he stayed for 3 years. He had a successful stint there as he led the struggling Royals to the IPL playoffs and Champions League finals in 2013. The Royals were also unbeaten at their home ground, Sawai Mansingh stadium for 13 straight games during Upton’s tenure.
He was also the Delhi Capitals’ coach for 2 seasons of 2016 and 2017 where he did quite a decent job. Upton has not coached in the IPL after 2017 but ranks 7th on this list owing to his successful stints before that.
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