Rajasthan Royals appointed Paddy Upton as their head coach for the upcoming Indian Premier League season, which begins on March 29.
South Africa’s Upton had coached the Royals between 2013 and 2015 before moving to Delhi Daredevils.
He steered Royals to the semi-finals of the 2013 edition, and also managed to reach the final of the Champions League in the same year. Royals also recorded 13 consecutive wins at home under Upton – the highest ever in IPL.
Upton has also had several stints with T20 franchises around the globe, even helping Sydney Thunder overcome a terrible run to win the Big Bash League. He was also part of the support staff under Gary Kirsten that helped India win the 2011 World Cup. He has also coached in the Pakistan Super League apart from working with Cricket South Africa as their Performance Director.
Upton, who has a Masters’ degree in Sports Science, has worked as a strength and conditioning coach, mental conditioning coach, a sports psychologist and a performance consultant.
“The experience and knowledge that he brings to the table is unparalleled. As coach, mentor and scientific trainer, Paddy Upton is well versed with the rigours of modern day sport. We are thrilled to have him back in our team and can’t wait to put on our pads and get going in the new season,” said Zubin Bharucha, Head of Cricket, Rajasthan Royals.
“Paddy is someone who is well versed with the culture of Rajasthan Royals and he knows what it takes to achieve success in international sport at the highest level. We cannot wait for the season to begin and are so pleased that the BCCI have confirmed it will be held entirely in India,” said Manoj Badale, Lead Owner of Rajasthan Royals.
Royals finished fourth in the last edition of the IPL.