Dubai: Rajasthan Royals received a timely boost to their campaign in the IPL 2020 with the announcement that the legendary Shane Warne will act as the team mentor in addition to his role as their brand ambassador for the second year in a row. The spin wizard is regarded as an iconic figure for the Royals as he had guided them as a captain-mentor to their only IPL success in the inugural edition in 2008.
Speaking about his association with the Royals in a dual role, Warne said in a statement: “On my dual role, it’s always a great feeling to be back with Royals, my team, my family. It’s exciting to be working across all elements of this franchise that I love. We have worked towards our vision of becoming a global team that fans around the world love and follow. This season, I am looking forward to working as a Team Mentor and joining up with an excellent backroom staff in Zubin Bharucha and Andrew McDonald. Hopefully, we can have a successful season and achieve big things in the coming months.”
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Warne’s trip to the UAE will see him working with Royals management team to strengthen their international fan base and wow the Royals’ existing and potential sponsors with his exceptional cricketing knowledge and foresight. He will also be campaigning for the ethos of Royals’ philanthropic initiatives focussed towards a woman empowered culture with the Royal Rajasthan Foundation, the CSR arm of the franchise.
Commenting on the appointment of Warne, Royals COO Jake Lush McCrum said: “He is one of the all-time greats of the game and is very special to us here at Rajasthan Royals. Shane is someone who exemplifies our vision of driving innovation and we’re delighted to have him with us supporting both the growth of our franchise globally, while also motivating our players for success on the field.”
Warne will work alongside Head Coach Andrew McDonald, with whom he had been teammates from 2003-07 for Victoria. He will also join with Zubin Bharucha, Head of Cricket at Royals, who was with Warne during the inaugural season and famously won the tournament. The Royals will be captained by Steve Smith, who is expected to arrive along with other Australian and England players involved in the IPL in a chartered jet soon after the conclusion of the ODI series on September 16.
