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New Delhi: Women's Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has named former Tamil Nadu spinner Malolan Rangarajan as the new head coach ahead of the fourth WPL edition next year.
Rangarajan will take charge in place of Luke Williams, who was appointed as head coach in 2024. The Australian coach will miss the WPL due to his commitments with Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.
"Malolan Rangarajan, a key member of the RCB support staff for the last six years in various roles, has now been appointed as head coach for the upcoming WPL cycle," RCB posted on their official X handle.
Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in 1989, Rangarajan represented South Zone Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand in domestic cricket. He operated as a bowling all-rounder who batted right-handed and bowled right-arm off break. One of his most memorable performances came in the 2013/14 Duleep Trophy when he took a five-for and scored a fifty against West Zone.
Before the start of the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy, Rangarajan transferred from Tamil Nadu to Uttarakhand, but returned to his home state the next year.
He finished his playing career with 136 wickets and 1379 runs in 47 First Class matches.
After hanging up his boots as a player, Rangarajan turned to scouting and was appointed the head of the talent scouting wing of the Indian Premier League franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), in 2019.
He served as the coach of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) side, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, ahead of the 2020 season and three years later was promoted to the top post of head coach. In the same year, he was appointed assistant coach of the Royal Challengers Bangalore women's team and also oversaw the talent scouting department.
He served as the assistant coach during RCB's title-winning season in 2024.
The WPL 2026 will be staged a month earlier than usual next year - from January to February - as India is set to co-host the men's T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka in the February-March window.
