Former Indian bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule is set to make his return to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the upcoming 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The former India spinner, who was recently associated with the National Cricket Academy (NCA), now known as the Centre of Excellence, has taken up the role of spin bowling coach with the franchise. He quit his role at the NCA a week ago.
New Spin bowling coach for Rajasthan Royals
Bahutule had previously worked with the Rajasthan Royals from 2018 to 2021 before joining the NCA. His return marks a key addition to the Royals’ coaching staff, where he will collaborate with the team’s bowling coach, Shane Bond, and head coach Rahul Dravid. The 52-year-old has previously worked with Dravid when the latter was in charge of the Indian team.
Speaking about his appointment, Bahutule told Cricbuzz, “The discussions are ongoing, and I’m close to finalizing my involvement with the franchise. There are still a few details to be worked out, but I’m excited to be realigning with the Royals. I’m also thrilled to be reuniting with Rahul. He was the one who introduced me to the Indian team during the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in 2023 when I served as the spin-bowling coach.”
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With his vast coaching experience, Bahutule is expected to play a key role in shaping the Royals’ bowling unit, which boasts talented bowlers like Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Akash Madhwal, and Fazalhaq Farooqi. Among the spinners in the squad are Maheesh Teekshana, Kumar Kartikeya, and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Having previously coached domestic teams like Kerala and Bengal, Bahutule has also worked with India A and was part of the coaching staff for the Under-19 World Cup and India Emerging Team that won the Asia Cup. His return to RR strengthens the team’s coaching unit, bringing in experience and expertise in spin bowling development.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) Squad for IPL 2025
Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Tushar Deshpande, Nitish Rana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Charak, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ashok Sharma, Kunal Rathore, Kwena Maphaka, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya.
(highlighted players are spin-bowling options for RR)
