The Dublin Guardians have appointed former India Batting Coach Vikram Rathour as their Head Coach, handing one of Indian cricket’s most experienced coaching figures responsibility for leading the franchise as it builds its identity ahead of its inaugural campaign.
Rathour arrives with coaching experience spanning the India Men’s Team, the Indian Premier League and Sri Lanka’s national side, adding significant pedigree to the Guardians’ backroom staff.
Dravid welcomes Rathour to Dublin
Former India Head Coach Rahul Dravid welcomed Rathour in a video released by the Dublin Guardians. The video was captioned: “Our leader from the dugout 💚 Welcoming Head Coach, Vikram Rathour 🙌”
Our leader from the dugout 💚
Welcoming Head Coach, Vikram Rathour 🙌
[Dublin, Dublin Guardians, Cricket, ETPL, Ireland, European T20 Premier League] pic.twitter.com/jGkzVu206D
— Dublin Guardians (@DublinGuardians) August 1, 2026
In the video, Dravid said: “Hello Vikram, Rahul here. Welcome to the Dublin Guardians. I’m in Dublin, and it’s a really beautiful city with some fantastic sights and sounds, and some lovely people. Also, there’s a genuine passion and love for the game of cricket, which I would love you to see. Congratulations on joining us as the head coach. I know that you will be fantastic in building the culture that we envisage at the Dublin Guardians. Wishing you all the very best, and I’ll see you in Dublin soon.”
Responding to his appointment, Rathour said: “Looking forward to this.”
Guiding the Guardians, Vikram Rathour 🫡
[Dublin, Dublin Guardians, Cricket, ETPL, Ireland, European T20 Premier League] pic.twitter.com/lsTvZEWcfZ
— Dublin Guardians (@DublinGuardians) August 1, 2026
The franchise also shared a separate announcement post carrying the caption: “Guiding the Guardians, Vikram Rathour 🫡.”
Extensive coaching experience
Rathour served as the India Men’s Team Batting Coach across all formats from 2019 to 2024.
He is currently the Batting Coach of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League and was appointed as Sri Lanka’s Batting Coach on a consultancy basis from 18 January to 10 March 2026, with a primary focus on the team’s preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
His coaching qualifications include BCCI Level 3, Cricket Australia Level 3 and England and Wales Cricket Board Level 1 certifications.
Before joining the India setup, Rathour coached Punjab in domestic cricket and later became an India National Selector in 2012, broadening his experience across multiple high-performance roles in Indian cricket.
Strong domestic record underpinned coaching career
Although Rathour’s international playing career was relatively brief, he established himself as one of India’s most accomplished domestic batters.
The right-handed opening batter represented India in six Tests and seven One-Day Internationals between 1996 and 1997 after making his Test debut against England and his ODI debut against Pakistan in 1996.
Across his international career, he scored 131 Test runs at an average of 13.10, with a highest score of 44, while adding 193 ODI runs at an average of 27.57, including two half-centuries and a highest score of 54.
His domestic record was considerably stronger. Rathour amassed 11,473 runs in 146 first-class matches at an average of 49.66, including a highest score of 254. He also scored 3,161 runs in 99 List A matches at an average of 33.98, with a highest score of 146.
Following his retirement in 2003, Rathour spent several years in England before returning to India, where he moved into coaching and cricket administration before progressing to senior international coaching roles.
Experienced support staff assembled
The Dublin Guardians have also confirmed the rest of their coaching group, with John Mooney joining as Fielding Coach, Mitchell McClenaghan appointed Bowling Coach and Ed Joyce taking on the role of Assistant Coach.
Guardians joining Vikram in the coaching staff 💚
[Dublin, Dublin Guardians, Cricket, ETPL, Ireland, European T20 Premier League] pic.twitter.com/Z7CQNQEnHP
— Dublin Guardians (@DublinGuardians) August 3, 2026
Together, the appointments establish an experienced coaching team as the franchise prepares for its first season under Rathour’s leadership.
