New Delhi: Former Team India mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton will be serving the Rajasthan Royals for the forthcoming Indian Premier League season.

Previously, Upton has guided and mentored several franchise teams across the globe, be it in IPL, Big Bash or Pakistan Super League.

Upton was the head coach of Pune Warriors in 2012, of Rajasthan Royals from 2013-15 and Delhi Daredevils from 2016-17.  He had taken the Rajasthan Royals to the IPL playoff in 2013 and to the final of the Champions League in the same year. 

Under his tutelage, the Royals had registered 13 home wins on the trot at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh stadium. 

He had taken the Sydney Thunder to the Big Bash League title in the 2015-16. 

His biggest achievement came with the Indian national team, as mental conditioning coach, when he combined with head coach Gary Kirsten to guide India to 2011 ODI World Cup title and World No.1 rank in ICC Test rankings.

Upton has also held the position of Performance Director of South Africa Cricket from 2011-2014, when South Africa became the first cricket team to hold the World No.1 ranking in all three formats of the game (2012).

In 2018, he was inducted into Australia's Deakin University as a Professor of Practice at its Business School.

His role includes creating free online coaching courses for people with an interest in building their career in sports coaching.

"It gives us immense pleasure to announce Paddy joining the team. We welcome him back to the Royals Family. Paddy is someone who is well versed with the culture of Rajasthan Royals and he knows what it takes to achieve success in international sport at the highest level," said Manoj Badale, Lead Owner of Rajasthan Royals.

With PTI inputs