Former India batting coach Vikram Rathour has joined Rajasthan Royals' backroom staff in a similar capacity ahead of IPL 2025, the franchise announced on social media on Friday (Sep 20). Rathour will relink with Rahul Dravid - Royal’s new head coach, months after they guided Team India to their second T20 World Cup title in June. Their contracts expired with the conclusion of the multi-team tournament in the Americas.

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Rathour bhi, Royal bhi! 💗 
 
T20 World Cup winning coach Vikram Rathour joins our support staff and reunites with Rahul Dravid! 🤝🔥 <a href="https://t.co/YbGvoMQyrv">pic.twitter.com/YbGvoMQyrv</a>
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Rathour joined Team India as the batting coach five years ago, working with former coaches Ravi Shastri and Dravid, respectively.&nbsp;

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"The opportunity to work again with Rahul, and now with a talented group of young cricketers, is hugely exciting," Rathour said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.&nbsp;

"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,” he continued.

Dravid, who enjoyed his stint with Vikram, expressed pleasure at rejoining with his former India backroom staff member.

"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," Dravid said.

"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,” Rajasthan Royals’ new head coach added.

<h2>Plenty of work to do</h2>

It, however, will be Rathour’s second stint with any franchise in the IPL, having worked with Punjab Kings earlier.&nbsp;

Previously, he worked as the director of cricket at Himachal Pradesh.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) appointed Rathour and former Sri Lanka spin legend Rangana Herath as their batting and bowling coaches, respectively, for the Sri Lanka series.&nbsp;

Though Herath’s contract will run through till the end of the India Tests, NZC appointed Rathour for the ongoing SL series.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Rathour and Dravid will work on finalising the retention list as BCCI nears announcing revised IPL retention rules.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Former India batting coach Vikram Rathour has joined Rajasthan Royals' backroom staff in a similar capacity ahead of IPL 2025, the franchise announced on social media on Friday (Sep 20).

Former India batting coach Vikram Rathour has joined Rajasthan Royals' backroom staff in a similar capacity ahead of IPL 2025, the franchise announced on social media on Friday (Sep 20). Rathour will relink with Rahul Dravid - Royal’s new head coach, months after they guided Team India to their second T20 World Cup title in June. Their contracts expired with the conclusion of the multi-team tournament in the Americas. Rathour bhi, Royal bhi! 💗 T20 World Cup winning coach Vikram Rathour joins our support staff and reunites with Rahul Dravid! 🤝🔥 pic.twitter.com/YbGvoMQyrv — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 20, 2024 × Rathour joined Team India as the batting coach five years ago, working with former coaches Ravi Shastri and Dravid, respectively. ALSO READ: Marnus Labuschagne creates history with UNBELIEVABLE record in 1st ODI vs England "The opportunity to work again with Rahul, and now with a talented group of young cricketers, is hugely exciting," Rathour said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. "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,” he continued. Dravid, who enjoyed his stint with Vikram, expressed pleasure at rejoining with his former India backroom staff member. "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," Dravid said. "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,” Rajasthan Royals’ new head coach added. Plenty of work to do It, however, will be Rathour’s second stint with any franchise in the IPL, having worked with Punjab Kings earlier. Previously, he worked as the director of cricket at Himachal Pradesh. Earlier this month, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) appointed Rathour and former Sri Lanka spin legend Rangana Herath as their batting and bowling coaches, respectively, for the Sri Lanka series. Though Herath’s contract will run through till the end of the India Tests, NZC appointed Rathour for the ongoing SL series. Meanwhile, Rathour and Dravid will work on finalising the retention list as BCCI nears announcing revised IPL retention rules. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Vikram Rathour, former India batting coach, reunites with Rahul Dravid at Rajasthan Royals

Former South Africa all-rounder Lance Klusener has rejoined the Zimbabwe senior men's national team as batting coach.

His appointment was confirmed by the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Board during its meeting held on Monday.

After the meeting, Craig Ervine was also confirmed as Zimbabwe's full-time white-ball captain while Sean Williams will lead the Test side.

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"He is taking over from Stuart Matsikenyeri, who now moves to the position of assistant coach, while Lalchand Rajput remains in charge as head coach of the national side," stated an official statement.

Klusener previously served as Zimbabwe's batting coach between 2016 and 2018. Until recently, he was head coach of the Afghanistan national team.

In the meantime, ZC is in the process of finalising the appointment of a bowling coach and a fitness trainer for the men's national team.

Former South Africa all-rounder Lance Klusener has rejoined the Zimbabwe senior men's national team as batting coach. His appointment was confirmed by the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Board during its meeting held on Monday.

Former South Africa all-rounder Lance Klusener has rejoined the Zimbabwe senior men's national team as batting coach. His appointment was confirmed by the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Board during its meeting held on Monday. After the meeting, Craig Ervine was also confirmed as Zimbabwe's full-time white-ball captain while Sean Williams will lead the Test side. ALSO READ: IPL 2022: MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings rope in Ireland pacer Josh Little as net bowler "He is taking over from Stuart Matsikenyeri, who now moves to the position of assistant coach, while Lalchand Rajput remains in charge as head coach of the national side," stated an official statement. Klusener previously served as Zimbabwe's batting coach between 2016 and 2018. Until recently, he was head coach of the Afghanistan national team. In the meantime, ZC is in the process of finalising the appointment of a bowling coach and a fitness trainer for the men's national team.

Lance Klusener back as Zimbabwe's batting coach, Craig Ervine named white-ball captain

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday appointed James Siddons as the new batting coach. The decision came a day after Ashwell Prince tendered his resignation from the job, citing "family reasons".

"Jamie Siddons will be the national team's batting coach. We have heard from senior cricketers and board directors that he is a good coach, which is why we brought him here," said BCB president Nazmul Hassan, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

"Maybe after Siddons'&nbsp;arrival, Prince thought we were thinking differently. But he could have stayed so that we could get him to work in a different capacity," he added.&nbsp;

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Siddons, who worked as Bangladesh's head coach from 2007 to 2011 delivering several breakthroughs, was first contacted in May last year when Bangladesh was trying to replace Neil McKenzie with a permanent batting coach.

The BCB shortlisted Prince and Siddons, with the former being appointed in July ahead of the Zimbabwe series.BCB is also looking for specialist fast-bowling and fielding coaches but it is likely that they won't be having anyone from overseas in place ahead of the Afghanistan series that begins on February 23.

"We are looking for a pace-bowling coach who has experience working with international teams. Till then, Champaka (Ramanayake) can work with them," Hassan said.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday appointed James Siddons as the new batting coach. The decision came a day after Ashwell Prince tendered his resignation from the job, citing "family reasons".

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday appointed James Siddons as the new batting coach. The decision came a day after Ashwell Prince tendered his resignation from the job, citing "family reasons". "Jamie Siddons will be the national team's batting coach. We have heard from senior cricketers and board directors that he is a good coach, which is why we brought him here," said BCB president Nazmul Hassan, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. "Maybe after Siddons' arrival, Prince thought we were thinking differently. But he could have stayed so that we could get him to work in a different capacity," he added. ALSO READ: No one expected Virat Kohli to resign as India's Test captain, reveals all-rounder Shardul Thakur Siddons, who worked as Bangladesh's head coach from 2007 to 2011 delivering several breakthroughs, was first contacted in May last year when Bangladesh was trying to replace Neil McKenzie with a permanent batting coach. The BCB shortlisted Prince and Siddons, with the former being appointed in July ahead of the Zimbabwe series.BCB is also looking for specialist fast-bowling and fielding coaches but it is likely that they won't be having anyone from overseas in place ahead of the Afghanistan series that begins on February 23. "We are looking for a pace-bowling coach who has experience working with international teams. Till then, Champaka (Ramanayake) can work with them," Hassan said.

Bangladesh rope in Jamie Siddons as new batting coach

Around the time that news broke from inside the corridors of the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai that Sanjay Bangar had all but lost his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-opener-vikram-rathour-set-to-replace-sanjay-bangar-as-indias-batting-coach-244929">position of batting coach</a> of the Indian cricket team, visuals of Bangar on the balcony at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium at North Sound, Antigua were shown during the first Test against West Indies.

The former India allrounder sat between Bharat Arun and Ravi Shastri, India’s bowling coach and head coach respectively, each of whom have kept their jobs. Standing next to Shastri was India skipper Virat Kohli.

It is now known whether Bangar – who also serves as India’s assistant coach – knew at the time that he was, in all probability, out of a job come the end of India’s tour of the West Indies next month. The BCCI selection committee had unanimously chosen former India Test opener and national selector Vikram Rathour as the next batting coach of the national team. Only formalities remain to confirm Rathour, 50, as the man to coach India’s batsmen from the home series against South Africa in September until the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup.

Arun aside, the other specialist coach in the Indian team setup, fielding coach R Sridhar, also had his contract renewed for two years on Thursday.

That means that only Bangar lost his job.

When asked by reporters in Mumbai why Bangar, who has been with the Indian team as batting coach since 2014, when he joined Shastri, Arun and Sridhar in a clean-up job by the BCCI, the chief selector MSK Prasad did not provide a specific reason.

“In the last five years, there is definitely some amount of improvement. Looking ahead, with the Test Championship coming up and two T20 World Cups, we thought that there should be freshness in the department. That’s the reason why we went ahead with Vikram Rathour as first choice,” he said.

The obvious question is, was Bangar made the scapegoat for India’s batting frailties during the 2019 World Cup, which culminated in defeat to New Zealand in the semi-final?

The “freshness” in the batting theory, which Prasad touched upon but did not elaborate on, will not set well with everyone. Such decisions rarely do.

It can be argued that since Bangar, Arun and Sridhar all came on board together in 2014, under Shastri, why weren’t the other two assistant coaches removed from their roles?

CricketCountry has learnt that the decision to replace Bangar was taken because the selectors were in agreement that a new pair of eyes were needed on India’s current crop of batsmen. With regards to Arun, the overall feeling was that the rise of India’s fast bowlers since he took over as bowling coach augured extremely well and that relationship should be continued with. Indeed, there has never been a pace pool like Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav all in the same squad, and the success of these bowlers has helped India become No 1 in Tests.

India’s bowling unit is apparently closer to Arun than the batsmen are to Bangar, and there is a view within the management that coaching bowlers is more technical than coaching batsmen. Hence the decision to continue with the same rhythm in place.

In regards to Sridhar’s reappointment, the rising standards of India’s fielding – even though the team’s slip cordon in Tests has issues still – merited his continuation.

As it stands, India’s support staff will be finalised by the end of August but the catch is that Rathour has to declare any cases of a conflict of interest, otherwise Bangar will be re-appointed.

Rathour, who averaged 13.10 from six Tests and 49.66 from 146 first-class matches, had earlier this year been recommended to the BCCI by Rahul Dravid, the coach of India A and India Under-19s, who wanted the former Punjab batsman and qualified coach on board as a batting coach.

In February, Rathour was named as the batting coach of India A and U-19 teams and then in May, was roped in as the head coach of India A. But on both occasions, his appointment was cancelled by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) after the acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary sent a note of dissent citing the conflict of interest.

Rathour is the brother-in-law of Aashish Kapoor, the former India offspinner currently serving as chairman of India’s junior selection committee, and a cousin of Anurag Thakur, the former BCCI president and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association president. Rathour, after his Punjab career ended, played for Himachal Pradesh.

It is learnt that Rathour’s case was apparently pushed by for Anurag Thakur, because on paper the former India opener’s CV does not make for impressing reading even though he is a qualified coach. On Thursday, the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri dismissed any conflict of interest claims, as you would expect him to.

As with Indian cricket, nothing is straightforward and the fate of Bangar and Rathour is not decided.

For now, keep an eye on Bangar if you spot him on TV again during the ongoing Test series.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on Cricket Country. Read the <a href="https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/indias-batting-coach-vikram-rathour-over-sanjay-bangar-might-be-unanimous-but-its-not-straightforward-883102">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

Around the time that news broke from inside the corridors of the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai that Sanjay Bangar had all but lost his position of batting coach of the Indian cricket team, visuals of Bangar on the balcony at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium at North Sound, Antigua were shown during the first Test against West Indies.

Around the time that news broke from inside the corridors of the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai that Sanjay Bangar had all but lost his position of batting coach of the Indian cricket team, visuals of Bangar on the balcony at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium at North Sound, Antigua were shown during the first Test against West Indies. The former India allrounder sat between Bharat Arun and Ravi Shastri, India’s bowling coach and head coach respectively, each of whom have kept their jobs. Standing next to Shastri was India skipper Virat Kohli. It is now known whether Bangar – who also serves as India’s assistant coach – knew at the time that he was, in all probability, out of a job come the end of India’s tour of the West Indies next month. The BCCI selection committee had unanimously chosen former India Test opener and national selector Vikram Rathour as the next batting coach of the national team. Only formalities remain to confirm Rathour, 50, as the man to coach India’s batsmen from the home series against South Africa in September until the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. Arun aside, the other specialist coach in the Indian team setup, fielding coach R Sridhar, also had his contract renewed for two years on Thursday. That means that only Bangar lost his job. When asked by reporters in Mumbai why Bangar, who has been with the Indian team as batting coach since 2014, when he joined Shastri, Arun and Sridhar in a clean-up job by the BCCI, the chief selector MSK Prasad did not provide a specific reason. “In the last five years, there is definitely some amount of improvement. Looking ahead, with the Test Championship coming up and two T20 World Cups, we thought that there should be freshness in the department. That’s the reason why we went ahead with Vikram Rathour as first choice,” he said. The obvious question is, was Bangar made the scapegoat for India’s batting frailties during the 2019 World Cup, which culminated in defeat to New Zealand in the semi-final? The “freshness” in the batting theory, which Prasad touched upon but did not elaborate on, will not set well with everyone. Such decisions rarely do. It can be argued that since Bangar, Arun and Sridhar all came on board together in 2014, under Shastri, why weren’t the other two assistant coaches removed from their roles? CricketCountry has learnt that the decision to replace Bangar was taken because the selectors were in agreement that a new pair of eyes were needed on India’s current crop of batsmen. With regards to Arun, the overall feeling was that the rise of India’s fast bowlers since he took over as bowling coach augured extremely well and that relationship should be continued with. Indeed, there has never been a pace pool like Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav all in the same squad, and the success of these bowlers has helped India become No 1 in Tests. India’s bowling unit is apparently closer to Arun than the batsmen are to Bangar, and there is a view within the management that coaching bowlers is more technical than coaching batsmen. Hence the decision to continue with the same rhythm in place. In regards to Sridhar’s reappointment, the rising standards of India’s fielding – even though the team’s slip cordon in Tests has issues still – merited his continuation. As it stands, India’s support staff will be finalised by the end of August but the catch is that Rathour has to declare any cases of a conflict of interest, otherwise Bangar will be re-appointed. Rathour, who averaged 13.10 from six Tests and 49.66 from 146 first-class matches, had earlier this year been recommended to the BCCI by Rahul Dravid, the coach of India A and India Under-19s, who wanted the former Punjab batsman and qualified coach on board as a batting coach. In February, Rathour was named as the batting coach of India A and U-19 teams and then in May, was roped in as the head coach of India A. But on both occasions, his appointment was cancelled by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) after the acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary sent a note of dissent citing the conflict of interest. Rathour is the brother-in-law of Aashish Kapoor, the former India offspinner currently serving as chairman of India’s junior selection committee, and a cousin of Anurag Thakur, the former BCCI president and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association president. Rathour, after his Punjab career ended, played for Himachal Pradesh. It is learnt that Rathour’s case was apparently pushed by for Anurag Thakur, because on paper the former India opener’s CV does not make for impressing reading even though he is a qualified coach. On Thursday, the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri dismissed any conflict of interest claims, as you would expect him to. As with Indian cricket, nothing is straightforward and the fate of Bangar and Rathour is not decided. For now, keep an eye on Bangar if you spot him on TV again during the ongoing Test series. (This article was originally published on Cricket Country. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India's batting coach: Vikram Rathour over Sanjay Bangar might be unanimous, but it's not straightforward

Former opener Vikram Rathour is expected to replace Sanjay Bangar as India's batting coach, the country's cricket board said on Thursday.

Rathour topped the list of candidates who were interviewed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Bangar came in second while former England batsman Mark Ramprakash was listed third.

"Vikram Rathour has got enough experience and we are convinced with his skill sets (as a coach)," BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri told reporters.

"The team management had their own views but looking ahead we felt there should be some freshness in the support staff."

The 50-year-old Rathour played just six Tests and seven one-day internationals between 1996-97, but had a long and successful domestic career with his home state of Punjab.

Meanwhile, current bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar have been retained for their jobs that will be soon formalised by the BCCI.

South African Jonty Rhodes missed out on the fielding position.

The support staff will work under head coach Ravi Shastri, who was given a two-year contract extension until the end of the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup.

Former opener Vikram Rathour is expected to replace Sanjay Bangar as India's batting coach, the country's cricket board said on Thursday. Rathour topped the list of candidates who were interviewed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Former opener Vikram Rathour is expected to replace Sanjay Bangar as India's batting coach, the country's cricket board said on Thursday. Rathour topped the list of candidates who were interviewed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Bangar came in second while former England batsman Mark Ramprakash was listed third. "Vikram Rathour has got enough experience and we are convinced with his skill sets (as a coach)," BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri told reporters. "The team management had their own views but looking ahead we felt there should be some freshness in the support staff." The 50-year-old Rathour played just six Tests and seven one-day internationals between 1996-97, but had a long and successful domestic career with his home state of Punjab. Meanwhile, current bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar have been retained for their jobs that will be soon formalised by the BCCI. South African Jonty Rhodes missed out on the fielding position. The support staff will work under head coach Ravi Shastri, who was given a two-year contract extension until the end of the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup.

Former opener Vikram Rathour set to replace Sanjay Bangar as India's batting coach

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