The Rajasthan Royals have hired Vikram Rathour as their new batting coach. Rathour, who used to be India’s batting coach and a former player, will now work with Rahul Dravid again, after they both helped India win the Men’s T20 World Cup in June. “I’m honored to join the Royals team. It’s exciting to work with Rahul again and to help a group of talented young cricketers. I’m eager to help the team achieve its goals and develop top players for both the Royals and India, which will hopefully lead to winning championships,” Rathour said in a statement from the team.
Rathour played in six Test matches and seven One Day Internationals for India before becoming the batting coach from 2019 to 2024. During his time as coach, players like Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul became important members of the national team in various formats.
“I’ve worked closely with Vikram for many years, and I can confidently say that his technical skills, calm attitude, and deep understanding of Indian conditions make him a great fit for the Royals.
“We’ve built a strong relationship and guided India to important victories together. I’m excited to work with him again. His ability to develop young talent and help players reach their full potential will be very important as we aim to strengthen our team and build a world-class squad here at Rajasthan Royals,” said Dravid, the head coach of RR.
Before joining the Indian team as their batting coach in 2019, Rathour was a national selector for four years. He also coached Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in domestic cricket and worked with Punjab Kings in the IPL.
Recently, Rathour was part of the New Zealand team’s support staff for a special Test match against Afghanistan in Greater Noida. Unfortunately, the game had to be called off because it rained a lot and the field was too wet to play.
