IPL 2018: Rajasthan Royals' association with Shane Warne might not be for the entire season

The Rajasthan Royals are all set to return to the IPL roster after serving their suspension period of two years. They will be led by Australian skipper Steve Smith in the competition. Also, they recently appointed legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne as the mentor of the franchise. Interestingly, it was Shane Warne who had led the Royals to a title win in the inaugural edition of the tournament.

It is worth noting that Warne was the only overseas skipper in the tournament during the first edition of the tournament. Certainly, he has been a very successful leader for the franchise. And now, the team hopes that Shane Warne would replicate similar heroics, albeit in a different role for the Royals.

While his appointment as the mentor of the team came as a big boost for the franchise, the availability of Warne for the entire season remains under dark clouds. As per the recent reports in the Sportstar, the sources chose to stay mum over this issue. Some sources noted that Warne might be available only for the first half of the tourney. It is believed that Warne might walk away if he gets a commentary role in the tournament.

He has been keen on taking up that role. The source noted that Warne knows everything about the franchise, and hence, his presence will be a big boost for the players in the team. Furthemore, the franchise would want him to stay for the entire season. The end decision, although, remains to be taken by Shane Warne himself.

“It is still undecided. The franchise definitely wants him for the entire tournament, and even if he goes away, it will be for some other commitments,” a source, who is in the know of things, confirmed to Sportstar.

“Warne knows the Royals outfit inside out and his presence will certainly help the players and the team to stay motivated,” the source added further.

Big support for the players

Meanwhile, a former Rajasthan Royals player, who will be seen playing for some other franchise this season, noted that the presence of Warne is always a good one. He remarked that the former Australian cricketer is a very inspirational figure in the dressing room.

“He would give a free-hand to the players and ask them to plan according to situation. That definitely boosted the team’s confidence,” a former Royals player, who is now with a different franchise, quoted.

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