Rajasthan Royals appoint Vikram Rathour as batting coach

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals have appointed former India batting coach Vikram Rathour as the side's new batting coach. The move reunites Rathour, a former India opener and selector, with Rahul Dravid at the franchise, after their national team stints ended with a Men’s T20 World Cup win in June this year.

"It’s a privilege to be part of the Royals family. The opportunity to work again with Rahul, and now with a talented group of young cricketers, is hugely exciting. I look forward to contributing to the team’s vision and working toward our goal of developing top-class players for the Royals and for India which can help in winning championships," said Rathour in a statement issued by the franchise.Rathour played six Tests and seven ODIs for India before becoming the side’s batting coach from 2019 to2024. His tenure saw him batters like Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul gain prominence in the national team across formats."Having worked closely with Vikram for many years, I can confidently say that his technical expertise, calm demeanor, and deep understanding of Indian conditions make him a perfect fit for the Royals."Together, we've built a strong rapport, guiding India to key successes, and I’m thrilled to reunite with him. His ability to nurture young talent and elevate players' potential will be invaluable as we aim to further strengthen our squad and continue building a world-class team here at Rajasthan Royals," said Dravid, RR's head coach.

Prior to entering the Indian team as their batting coach in 2019, Rathour also served as a national selector for four years. He also coached Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in domestic cricket, and worked with Punjab Kings in the IPL too.Recently, Rathour was a member of New Zealand support staff for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, which ended without a single ball being bowled due to persistent rain and wet outfield.