Ish Sodhi IPL 2021 team: What is the role of a Liaison Officer in Rajasthan Royals?

Liaison Officer in Rajasthan Royals: The Indian Premier League franchise has appointed an active cricketer in a non-playing role.

Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals has appointed New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi as a liaison officer for the upcoming 14th season of the biggest T20 league.

Sodhi, whose only IPL stint has come with Royals when he played eight matches for them across two seasons in 2018 and 2019, has registered a rare case of an IPL franchise hiring an active international cricketer in a non-playing role.

“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,” Sodhi said in a statement.

What is the role of a Liaison Officer in Rajasthan Royals?

Sodhi, who had registered career-best T20I bowling figures of 4-0-28-4 against Australia in Christchurch earlier this week, had signed with Royals as a spin consultant and operations executive ahead of IPL 2020. However, a prolonged delay to the tournament forced him to miss the opportunity of working with Royals last year.

As a liaison officer, Sodhi’s managerial skills will be under the limelight as he is expected to minimize the gap between the cricketing and operational side of the franchise. At Royals this year, Sodhi will work in tandem with former Sri Lanka captain and Royals Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara and Chief Operating Officer Jake Lush McCrum.

“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. “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,” Sodhi said.