IPL 2021 | Ish Sodhi joins Rajasthan Royals as team liaison officer
New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi has kick-started his off-field management career as team liaison officer for the Rajasthan Royals where he will help Kumar Sangakkara and Jake Lush McCrum in the cricket and operations vertical. Sodhi was appointed as the spin consultant for the side last year.
The former Rajasthan Royals legspinner went unsold for the second time in as many years and like last year, RR offered him an off-field role to be involved with the Indian Premier League. After the IPL 2020 was moved to UAE and moved from the original window due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sodhi couldn't join in his role as it clashed with New Zealand's domestic season and the birth of his first child.
"The Royals are an innovative, dynamic franchise that plays an entertaining brand of cricket, and I am delighted to rejoin my IPL family to work across the board. Last year I expressed my interest in exploring the management side of the franchise, and the Royals management team was very supportive, offering me a role to enable me to begin my off-field journey," he said.
Sodhi will work as the team liaison officer and will work closely with Kumar Sangakkara and CEO Jake Lush McCrum while contributing "both towards cricket and operations vertical".Â
"I'm looking forward to supporting the coaches and the business operations of the team through which I'll really develop my cricketing and management skills."
The schedule for the Indian Premier League hasn't been announced yet, but, in all likelihood, the tournament will be played in India and will start somewhere close to mid-April.