Former India Coach Quit NCA To Join Rajasthan Royals As Spin Bowling Coach

Sairaj Bahutule, a former National Cricket Academy (NCA) Bengaluru spin bowling coach and part of India’s coaching staff on many occasions to fill in the role of the bowling coach during the absence of the regular coach, joined Rajasthan Royals (RR) as their spin bowling coach ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

Bahutule had recently quit the job at NCA. He was part of India’s Asian Games Gold medal winning team as bowling coach and of the senior men's team that toured Sri Lanka as well. In Sri Lanka, he was associated with Gautam Gambhir before Morne Morkel took over. 

"Joining Rajasthan Royals again is a tremendous honour. The franchise's commitment to nurturing talent and playing an exciting brand of cricket resonates with my own coaching philosophy,” Bahutule, who previously worked with the franchise between 2018 and 2021, said. 

“I am eager to work alongside Rahul Dravid, [head coach] and the rest of the coaching staff to develop our bowling attack and contribute to the team's success. Together, we aim to achieve great milestones in the forthcoming season,” he added. 

Dravid, who too worked at the NCA once and then moved gradually to the senior men’s side after coaching the India U-19 team, replaced Kumar Sangakkara as head coach of the Royals this season. 

On Bahutule's appointment, he said, “Sairaj's deep understanding of spin bowling and his extensive coaching experience make him an invaluable addition to our team.”