IPL: Shane Bond appointed Rajasthan Royals’ fast bowling and assistant coach

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) appointed Shane Bond as their new fast bowling and assistant coach on Monday, October 23.

The New Zealand legend comes with a wealth of experience, having served as the bowling coach of his national team between 2012 to 2015, helping the Kiwis reach the 2015 World Cup final. The 48-year-old then joined Mumbai Indians in 2015 and served till the last (2023) season, grooming the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, and Trent Boult among others.

The development comes after Lasith Malinga left the role after spending two seasons at the Jaipur-based franchise.

On his appointment, Bond expressed gratitude to the Royals franchise for the opportunity. In a statement, he said:

"I'm delighted to be joining the Royals. It's a forward-thinking franchise who are determined to do well and I'm excited about being part of their vision. The bowling group is a great mix of youth and experience, and it will be awesome to work alongside them.”

Besides IPL, he has also worked with Big Bash League franchises Brisbane Heat (assistant coach in 2015) and Sydney Thunder (head coach in 2018).

The Christchurch-born cricketer represented the BlackCaps in 18 Tests and 82 ODIs, picking up 234 wickets.

“Shane is one of the greatest fast bowlers” – Kumar Sangakkara welcomes Shane Bond at Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, welcomed Shane Bond to the franchise with rich praise for the legendary pacer. He said:

"Shane is one of the greatest fast bowlers of modern-day cricket and brings with himself a wealth of experience and knowledge having mentored some of the best in the business. He has served in the IPL and in India for a number of years and is well-versed with the processes involved within the franchise ecosystem.”

He continued:

“He is someone who has a keen eye for helping the best become even better and we are delighted to welcome him to the franchise and look forward to seeing the impact he can make towards molding us into a title-winning team."

At RR, Bond will work with Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Sen, KM Asif, Kuldip Yadav, and Sandeep Sharma, among others. The Royals failed to qualify for the knockout stage of the IPL 2023. They finished fifth with seven wins in 14 matches.