Former India cricketer Sairaj Bahutule has returned to the Rajasthan Royals as the side’s spin bowling coach ahead of IPL 2025. Bahutule, 52, returns to the franchise after having been a part of the setup from 2018-21, before going to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) for a three-year stint. “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. “I am eager to work alongside Rahul 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,” said Bahutule in a statement issued by the franchise on Thursday. Bahutule represented India in two Tests and eight ODIs, apart from picking 630 wickets and amassing 6,000 runs in first-class cricket. In his coaching career, he has been a part of Mumbai, Bengal and Kerala teams in domestic cricket. He was also India senior men’s team bowling coach on their white-ball tour of Sri Lanka last year and in their T20I tour of South Africa. Bahutule was also the head coach of India A, reaching the semifinals of the Emerging Men’s Asia Cup in Oman last year, and served as the bowling consultant for the Test team during their 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win at home in 2023. At RR, Bahutule will collaborate with Rahul Dravid and Shane Bond, the franchise’s bowling coach who previously played international cricket for New Zealand. “Sairaj’s deep understanding of spin bowling and his extensive coaching experience make him an invaluable addition to our team. “His proven ability to mentor young bowlers aligns perfectly with our vision at Rajasthan Royals. Having worked with him before, I am confident that his insights and guidance will significantly benefit our players as we strive for excellence in the upcoming season,” added Dravid. RR’s bowling line-up comprises pacers Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Yudhvir Singh, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Ashok Sharma. Spinners include Kumar Kartikeya Singh, as well as Sri Lanka duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga.