Abhay Sharma appointed fielding coach of Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2026

Former Delhi cricketer Abhay Sharma has been appointed as the new fielding coach of the Lucknow Super Giants for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. The 56-year-old brings with him a wealth of coaching experience at both domestic and international levels, strengthening LSG’s revamped support staff.

Sharma replaces South African fielding great Jonty Rhodes, who served as LSG’s fielding coach from 2023 to 2025. The decision comes as part of a broader restructuring within the franchise after two underwhelming seasons. Having reached the playoffs in their first two IPL editions, LSG finished seventh in the last two campaigns, including IPL 2025, where they managed just six wins in 14 matches under captain Rishabh Pant.

The franchise, coached by former Australian opener Justin Langer, has already initiated significant changes behind the scenes. Recently, LSG appointed former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody as their Global Director of Cricket and New Zealand batting legend Kane Williamson as Strategic Advisor.

Notably, Sharma was part of India’s Under-19 support staff during the 2016, 2018, and 2020 U-19 World Cups, including the victorious 2018 campaign where India lifted the title. Over the years, he has worked closely with several cricketers such as Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel, Avesh Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the junior level.

Furthermore, he also served as the fielding coach of the Indian women’s cricket team after being appointed in 2021. One of the most memorable moments during his stint came when Harleen Deol pulled off a stunning boundary-line catch to dismiss Amy Jones.

Most recently, the former took charge of Uganda as head coach, guiding them during their maiden appearance at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. Although Uganda later parted ways with Sharma following the African qualifying campaign, where Zimbabwe and Namibia secured World Cup qualification, the stint recorded his first assignment as a head coach at the senior international level.