After announcing the arrival of Rahul Dravid earlier this month, who left his position as head coach of the Indian men’s team, the Rajasthan Royals confirmed Rathour’s hiring on Friday.

In a news release posted on the Royals website, Dravid stated, “Having worked closely with Vikram for many years, I can confidently say that his technical expertise, calm demeanor, and deep understanding of Indian conditions make him a perfect fit for the Royals.”
“As we look to further develop our roster and continue constructing a world-class club here at Rajasthan Royals, his ability to foster young talent and raise players’ potential will be invaluable.”
With multiple elite players at their disposal in recent years, including Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and Shimron Hetmyer, Rathour will join Dravid in facing serious retention concerns ahead of the 2025 season.
Rathour joins Royals after 5 years with India
After the team’s victory in the T20 World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year, Rathour, who had served as Dravid’s batting coach for the Indian squad for three years, had his contract terminated.
In 2019, Rathour—a talented local hitter who played for India in six Test matches and seven ODIs—bested out Pravin Amre and Jonathan Trott, the current coach of Afghanistan, for the position. In addition to leading India to two World Test Championship finals in 2021 and 2023, he also saw the team qualify for the 2023 home World Cup final.
Rathour had already been named as the New Zealand Test team’s temporary coach for their one-off match in Greater Noida versus Afghanistan, but the game was totally washed out. He served as a consultant for the Kiwis on their winter tour of Asia.
Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar, who are presently playing in their debut Test series with India in the upcoming Tests against Bangladesh, have taken Dravid’s and Rathour’s places on the India coaching staff.
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