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Français (Afrique)Former Indian fielding coach T Dilip opened up about his fondest memory with the national team, highlighting the brief period of silence in the changing room right after India ended their ICC trophy drought at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Dilip initially held the post of men's fielding coach from 2021 through the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He came back for a second term on a one-year agreement during India's Test tour of the UK in 2025, which ended without renewal. Across his tenures, he was part of the backroom staff during title runs at the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups as well as the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Reflecting on his best moment during an interview on JioStar, Dilip said: "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 think in that silence, 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."
T Dillip on the origin and legacy of the fielding medal
Under Dilip's guidance, awarding a post-match fielding medal inside the dressing room turned into a signature tradition celebrating fielding excellence. The ceremony gained massive popularity among supporters, particularly during the 2023 ODI World Cup hosted in India.
Explaining the concept behind the award, Dilip noted that his goal was to value a player's complete contribution in the field rather than single out one flashy moment, fostering healthy rivalry within the squad.
"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.' That positive competition among the group had started and, automatically, players started to notice even small things while being on the field," he said.
"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.
(With inputs from ANI)