T Dilip Reveals Why India’s Celebrated Fielding Medal Became A Dressing-Room Hit

Former India fielding coach T Dilip opened up about the widely celebrated fielding medal ceremony, one of the most popular dressing-room traditions introduced during his tenure, and reflected on some of the defining moments from his nearly five years with the Indian team.

Dilip, whose stint with the national side ended after the recent tour of England, said the fielding medal was created to recognise the overall impact of a fielder rather than only spectacular catches or dramatic moments.

Fielding Medal Created Healthy Competition

“What I thought was to recognise the overall impact as a fielder rather than just a spectacular catch. But what it brought in was that all the 11 players on the field, who may not be in the hotspots, had a feeling inside them that, ‘A little contribution would get me that award,’” Dilip said in an interaction with JioStar.

“That positive competition among the group had started and, automatically, players started to notice even small things while being on the field,” he added.

He added that the initiative encouraged players to appreciate and celebrate each other’s efforts, helping strengthen the team’s fielding culture.

“They celebrated when their other teammates did something exceptional. And that was a huge factor for me because, at the end of the day, the fielding medal is a team award. The players embraced it, fans supported it, and fielding got the recognition it deserved the most,” he added.

Barbados 2024 Remains His Favourite Memory

Reflecting on the most memorable moment of his tenure, Dilip said India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados remains unmatched.

“If I go back to my best moment, I think Barbados 2024, not just the trophy, but the dressing room atmosphere afterwards, the silence for a few seconds before it broke. I could sense the amount of hard work the boys had put in over those four years. And I’ll always keep that frame in my mind,” he said.

Dilip also recalled the tense moments surrounding Suryakumar Yadav’s spectacular catch to dismiss David Miller in the final over of the T20 World Cup final against South Africa.

“For the first few seconds, I was silent and calm physically because my mind was doing all the calculations, whether Surya had taken that ball cleanly, whether his feet were inside the boundary rope, whether he had popped the ball out in time. But once it was confirmed that it was a clean catch, there was a surge of emotions. But in the back of my mind, I also knew that the match had yet to be completed,” Dilip recalled.

Slip Positioning Could Be Crucial In Sri Lanka

Ahead of India’s Test series in Sri Lanka, the former fielding coach said fine margins in slip positioning could prove crucial, particularly against both fast bowlers and spinners.

“The important factor is that the spacing between the fielders has to be very fine because the ball comes faster in the slip region while fielding to fast bowlers. You may not have time to really go wide on your lateral side,” he explained.

Discussing spin bowling, Dilip pointed to the importance of adjusting the gap between the wicketkeeper and slip fielders according to the amount of turn and the pace of the delivery.

“For the spinners, I think, with most of the spinners, we saw how Shubman placed them in the Afghanistan series. It’s like, how would you place yourself, the gap between your keeper and slip, to take those finer edges which go on to your left side? And also, based on the turn, how fast or slow it is coming, how much you should stand away from the batter or not, will be key,” he said.

Dilip also praised Virat Kohli’s relentless intensity as one of the biggest influences on India’s fielding standards, saying the former captain’s ability to maintain the same energy levels in both practice sessions and matches continues to inspire teammates to push their own limits in the field.