Shane Bond Joins Rajasthan Royals as Dual-Role Assistant and Fast Bowling Coach
Shane Bond takes on a dual role as assistant coach and fast bowling coach for the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2024 season, reuniting with some of the bowlers he has previously mentored.
On Monday, the Rajasthan Royals made a significant announcement, revealing that former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond has become a part of the franchise. He will serve as both an assistant coach and the team’s new fast bowling coach for the upcoming IPL 2024 season.
Shane Bond, known as one of the standout modern-day fast bowlers, previously held the role of Bowling Coach for the New Zealand national team from 2012 to 2015, contributing to their journey to the final of the 2015 ICC Cricket ODI World Cup.
In 2015, he joined the Mumbai franchise in the IPL and played a significant role in their success, helping them win four titles in nine seasons. Under his guidance, several fast bowlers, including the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan, Trent Boult, and more, evolved into T20 specialists. Now, at the Royals, Bond will reunite with some of these fast bowlers and work on developing the current core of fast bowlers, which includes talents like Prasidh Krishna, Navdeep Saini, Sandeep Sharma, Kuldeep Sen, Obed McCoy, KM Asif, and Kuldip Yadav.
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Kumar Sangakkara, the Royals’ Director of Cricket, welcomed the New Zealand veteran to the franchise, acknowledging Bond’s wealth of experience and mentoring expertise. “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,” said Sangakkara. “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.”
Shane Bond expressed his enthusiasm upon joining the Royals, highlighting their forward-thinking approach. “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,” Bond said.
The Royals also expressed their gratitude to Lasith Malinga, who has departed after contributing immensely to the franchise during his two seasons with the team. They extended their best wishes to him for his future endeavors.