Vikram Rathour Reunites With Rahul Dravid at Rajasthan Royals, Appointed Batting Coach Ahead of IPL 2025

Vikram Rathour, who helped the Indian team win the T20 World Cup 2024 will reunite with Rahul Dravid as he has been appointed batting coach of the Rajasthan Royals. The inaugural IPL champions confirmed the news via their social media handles on Friday. Earlier, the Royals had appointed Rahul Dravid as their head coach after the completion of his stint with the Indian team. Rathour will join Dravid and bowling coach Shane Bond in a legendary backroom staff for the Jaipur-based IPL team.

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

Vikram Rathour served as India's batting coach helping the Men in Blue reach the final of the ODI World Cup 2023 while the Rohit Sharma-led side also finished runners-up in the WTC 2023 final.Earlier, Rathour had served as the national zone selector having represented the Indian team in 6 Tests and 7 ODIs from 1996 to 1997.The 55-year-old served the Indian team as the batting coach from 2019 to 2024, and he has also coached state teams of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in domestic cricket. His long-time friend and RR head coach Rahul Dravid was elated with the appointment as the Wall of India said that he is looking forward to building a world-class team and providing them with the right support to win the elusive IPL crown.

Halla Bol, Rathour is coming home to Rajasthan! 🔥💗 pic.twitter.com/jW1Sjax91W

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 20, 2024

"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," said Vikram Rathour following his appointment. The Royals haven't won the IPL since the inaugural season in 2008, but they did reach the final in 2022 finishing runners-up behind Gujarat Titans. While the BCCI is yet to announce the retention rules for the upcoming IPL 2025 auction, the mega affair is expected to take place in November per multiple reports, giving Rahul Dravid, Vikram Rathour, and Shane Bond nearly two months' time to shape the Rajasthan Royals' squad and decide on which players to retain.