Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Friday, September 20, announced the appointment of Vikram Rathour as their new batting coach for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). He will once again team up with Rahul Dravid, who was recently appointed as their new head coach.
Rathour’s appointment follows a successful five-year stint with the Indian men’s cricket team. With the national team, he collaborated with Ravi Shastri and later with Dravid. His contract concluded in June, shortly after India triumphed at the ICC T20 World Cup with a win over South Africa in the final.
Rathour expressed his excitement, saying, 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 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.”
Welcoming Rathour to the franchise, head coach Dravid, said, “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.”
“Rathour brings extensive experience, having played six Tests and seven ODIs for India before transitioning into a highly respected coaching role. Known for his technical acumen, Rathour served as India’s Batting Coach from 2019 to 2023, playing a key role in shaping the performances of emerging Indian batters.
“His tenure saw him guide players like Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul among others, through crucial phases of their development. Prior to his India role, Rathour was a national selector and also coached Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in domestic cricket,” RR said in an official statement.
This will mark Rathour’s second stint in the IPL, having previously been part of the Punjab Kings’ coaching setup. Additionally, he has also served as the director of cricket for Himachal Pradesh. Earlier in September, he worked as a batting consultant with New Zealand in Greater Noida, assisting them gear up for six Tests scheduled in Asia.
Rathpour was an opening batter who played for the Indian team. His international career was short-lived; as he played only six Tests and seven ODIs from 1996 to 1997. In his playing days, he was a prolific scorer for Punjab, accumulating the majority of his 11,473 first-class runs there.
