Shane Warne could return to Rajasthan Royals as coach-cum-mentor in IPL 2018
What’s the story?
Rajasthan Royals, one of the two teams making their comeback for the eleventh edition of the IPL, could be bolstered by the inclusion of Shane Warne in their set-up next year. The former Australian spinner is currently in England, doing commentary duties for the official broadcaster of the England-South Africa Test series.
In case you didn’t know…
Warne, Rajasthan Royals’ first captain, led the side to a title win in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, the year he retired from international cricket. The side, along with Chennai Super Kings, was suspended from the IPL in July 2015, after officials of their franchise were found guilty of betting on the tournament’s matches.
Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiant had been the two interim sides for the last two years.
The heart of the matter
With their IPL two-year suspension ending on July 14, the Rajasthan Royals have already started to put their pieces back together, ten months before the start of the next season.
According to a report in The Indian Express, Warne is likely to return to the team in the capacity of coach-cum-mentor if the talks between the Australian legend and the franchise are successful.
The side was previously mentored by Rahul Dravid, but after the former Indian captain chose to coach both the India-A and India U-19 teams, he is not allowed to be a part of any IPL team. He was named mentor of the Delhi Daredevils in March last year.
What’s next?
While the suspension of the Chennai and Rajasthan sides ends soon, the nature of the fresh auctions set to take place next year is still unclear. Recently, outgoing franchise Rising Pune Supergiant’s owner Sanjeev Goenka was reportedly in London to discuss the possibility of taking ownership from the franchise’s original owners.
Author’s take
Warne, arguably the greatest captain Australia never had, showed his astute cricketing brains by leading underdogs Rajasthan to the title in the first year. The side had the services of Rahul Dravid once Warne left the franchise, but BCCI’s new rule has forced the Royals to go back to the Australian to rebuild the team.
Under Warne, a number of youngsters were groomed to succeed, backing them to perform to their potential. Trust him to show the same faith in the current generation, just like he showed in a certain ‘rockstar’ Ravindra Jadeja, who is now the No.1 ranked Test bowler
Also read: BCCI planning to hold 'Mini IPL' with UAE as likely hosts, says chairman Rajeev Shukla