Vikram Rathour reunites with Rahul Dravid at Rajasthan Royals

Hyderabad: Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals have signed former Indian player and batting coach Vikram Rathour as their batting coach ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

Rathour reunites with Rahul Dravid in the support staff of Rajasthan Royals. Rathour worked alongside Dravid with the Indian cricket team and the duo were instrumental in India’s T20 World Cup win in June this year.

Rathour, a former opening batter, played six Test matches and seven ODIs for India. He had a good career in the Indian domestic set-up, with 33 first-class centuries against his name.

He was a part of the Indian cricket team’s support staff set-up from 2019 till the T20 World Cup 2024.

Rajasthan Royals said they are happy to reignite a successful partnership – referring to the partnership between Rathour and Dravid with the Indian team. “Rathour, a seasoned cricket professional, joined the Royals’ coaching setup shortly after the franchise welcomed Rahul Dravid back as head coach. It will reignite a successful partnership that elevated India to the top of the rankings in all three formats during their stint together, and led the country to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 title earlier this year,” the franchise said in a statement.

Rajasthan Royals head coach Dravid said he was thrilled to reunite with him. “Having worked closely with Vikram for many years, I can confidently say that his technical expertise, calm demeanour, 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,” Dravid said.

Rathour, on his part, said he was privileged to join the Rajasthan Royals bandwagon and added that he was looking forward to working again with Dravid. “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,” the batting coach said.