Vikram Rathour has reunited with Rahul Dravid as batting coach of the Rajasthan Royals. Having previously served as India's batting coach under Dravid, Rathour brings a wealth of experience to the team.
Following the appointment of former Indian coach Rahul Dravid as head coach, Rajasthan Royals have named Vikram Rathour, who served as Dravid's assistant in the India team, as their new batting coach. Rathour's appointment is for the upcoming IPL season (2025).
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Rathour expressed his delight at the opportunity to work with Dravid again and coach the talented Rajasthan Royals squad. Having played six Tests for India, Rathour served as India's batting coach until the recent T20 World Cup triumph.
Rathour, who became India's batting coach under Ravi Shastri, continued in the same role under Dravid. He stepped down in June after the T20 World Cup when Dravid's tenure as head coach ended. Abhishek Nayar, who was Kolkata Knight Riders' batting coach, was appointed as the assistant coach after Gautam Gambhir took charge of the national team. Rathour also served as a national selector in 2012.
Halla Bol, Rathour is coming home to Rajasthan! 🔥💗 pic.twitter.com/jW1Sjax91W
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals)Dravid previously served as both mentor and director for the Rajasthan Royals. As captain, he led RR to Champions League T20 final in 2013. He later took on the role of director-cum-mentor in 2014 and 2015. Dravid was appointed as the head coach of the Indian cricket team in 2021 and guided them to ICC T20 WC triumph in West Indies earlier this year.
Rajasthan Royals, who won the inaugural IPL title, finished as runners-up, under Sanju Samson's captaincy, in 2022. They narrowly missed out on a playoff berth in 2023 and were beaten by Sun Risers Hyderabad in the eliminator last season. Dravid, Rathour, and team Director Kumar Sangakkara are expected to finalize the list of players to be retained before the IPL mega auction.
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