Rajasthan Royals appoint Paddy Upton as Head Coach

Jaipur: Indian cricket team`s former mental conditioning coach, Paddy Upton has been appointed as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals.

The 44-year-old mental conditioning coach of the South African cricket team will coach the Royals in the sixth season of the Pepsi Indian Premier League scheduled to be held in April. Upton had assisted former Indian coach Gary Kirsten as mental conditioning coach, instructing the Indian national cricket team that went on to win the 2011 ICC World Cup. The South African cricket team became the No. 1 test-playing nation under the tutelage of Kirsten and Upton. "It is indeed an honour for me to coach a dynamic team like Rajasthan Royals. It will be wonderful to work with Rahul once more," Upton said. "The team has some very talented players and going into the new season, I am looking at instilling fresh confidence into the team." Rajasthan Royals skipper Rahul Dravid said: "I have worked with Paddy in the past and greatly respect him for his knowledge and professionalism. We welcome him to Rajasthan Royals and look forward to working with him." Raghu Iyer, CEO, Rajasthan Royals, said, "We have been impressed with the way Paddy uses his immense talent to work with some of the best cricket teams and sportsmen in the world. We feel his presence will do wonders for Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming season." Rajasthan Royals - who lifted the Twenty20 cup in its inaugural season in 2008 - are a balanced blend of young and experienced players from India and abroad. The team performed exceedingly well in the 2012 season of the IPL, narrowly missing the play-offs. PTI