Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) announced Sairaj Bahutule as their spin-bowling coach for the upcoming edition of the tournament on Thursday, February 13. The former India wrist-spinner was previously a part of Rajasthan's coaching setup from 2018-21. The Mumbai-born cricketer is one of the stalwarts of Indian domestic cricket, having an impressive record of over 630 wickets and 6,000 runs in first-class cricket.

Bahutule made his international debut during an ODI against Sri Lanka in 1997 and further made his Test debut during the third Test of the famous Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2001. He played eight ODIs and two Tests in his international career, scoring 62 runs and picking up five wickets.

Following his retirement, Bahutule has had a successful coaching career, mentoring teams such as Mumbai, Bengal, Kerala . He also served as the bowling coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for three years.

At Rajasthan Royals, Bahutule will be working alongside bowling coach Shane Bond and head coach Rahul Dravid, who said that his extensive coaching experience would come in handy for the franchise for the upcoming season.

"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," said Dravid in a media release.

Bahutule also expressed excitement on re-joining Rajasthan, calling it a 'tremendous honour'.

"Joining Rajasthan Royals again is a tremendous honor. 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.

Having failed to clinch an IPL title since their only triumph in the inaugural season of the tournament in 2008, Rajasthan Royals will be eager to finally end their long trophy drought in the upcoming season.