The 50-year-old has coached five different T20 teams across three major tournaments over the past 12 years, and this is the second time he has coached the Royals, having coached the side between 2013 and 2015...
The Rajasthan Royals announced Paddy Upton as their head coach for the upcoming 2019 Indian Premier League season on Sunday.
The 50-year-old has coached five different T20 teams across three major tournaments over the past 12 years, and this is his stint with the Royals, having been involved the side between 2013 and 2015.
He is, to say the least, a T20 specialist and was once described by Shane Watson as “one of the best coaches in the world”.
Oh, and he has two Masters degrees. He has an M.Sc in Sport Science from the University of Cape Town, and an M.A. in Coaching from Middlesex University.
Having worked as part of Gary Kirsten’s support staff when he was coach of India and South Africa, he got his first gig as a head coach at former IPL franchise the Pune Warriors in 2012.
Paddy Upton during his time as part of the India coaching staff
Since then he has, as mentioned before, coached the Royals, and also the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) for two seasons.
His greatest success has, however, not come in the IPL. In 2016, he guided the Sydney Thunder to their one and only Big Bash title.
The year before he joined the Sydney Thunder, they had just finished bottom of the points table for the third season running.
In his second season as coach they side qualified for playoffs for the first, and only time, in their history, and upset the odds by beating the Melbourne Stars in the final.
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