Ahead of the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals have appointed Lasith Malinga as the new bowling coach. He will bring a wealth of experience into the team, which has got a lot of talented fast bowlers.
Rajasthan Royals have managed to compile a brilliant squad this year. It includes a lot of top-notch fast bowlers such as Trent Boult, Prasidh Krisha, Navdeep Saini, Nathan Coulter-Nile, etc.
It is worth mentioning that Lasith Malinga is the highest wicket-taker in the history of the Indian Premier League. In just 122 matches, he has 170 wickets to his name at an average of 19.79. He will be remembered for playing an instrumental role in the success of Mumbai Indians.
Malinga will now be playing a different role as a bowling coach for Rajasthan Royals. The franchise would hope that he brings great fortune with him while heading into a new season.
Speaking on his appointment, Malinga said, “It’s a wonderful feeling for me to return to the IPL and an absolute honour to join RR, a franchise that has always promoted and developed young talent. I am excited by the pace bowling unit we have going into the tournament and looking forward to supporting all the fast bowlers with the execution of their game plans and their overall development. I’ve made some very special memories in the IPL with Mumbai Indians and now with Royals, looking forward to new experiences and creating great memories in this journey.”
On the other hand, former South African cricketer, Paddy Upton has joined the team as the team analyst. He has previously worked for the franchise as the head coach between 2013 and 2015 and then again in 2019. Under his guidance, the franchise made it to the top-four finish in 2013 and 2015.
Being the Team Analyst, Upton will play a crucial role in establishing team integration by bringing them together as a cohesive and mutually supporting unit and looking after their mental well-being with the use of various mental conditioning processes and activities that aid in maintaining a healthy culture and environment, especially within the restrictions of being in a bio-bubble.
Rajasthan Royals endured an underwhelming performance in the last edition of the tournament. In 14 matches, they only managed to win 5 games and thus finished at second from the bottom of the points table. However, the franchise has put faith in Sanju Samson’s abilities and backed him to take the leadership role once again for them.
Along with him, the likes of Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal will be some of the key players for the franchise. It will be interesting to see how they fare this time around.
