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ToggleRahul Dravid is slated to join Rajasthan Royals (RR) as head coach for the IPL 2025 season. Dravid, who stepped down as India’s head coach after leading the team to win in the T20 World Cup 2024, has made himself available for IPL duties.
Rahul Dravid did not want to take on full-time work that required his commitment for 8-10 months a year, but he was eager to return to the IPL and take on a role that just required him to be there for 2-3 months every year. Dravid has a past with RR. He was their captain in IPL 2012 and 2013, and team director and mentor in 2014 and 2015.
Rahul Dravid then joined the Delhi Daredevils (now the Delhi Capitals) in 2016 before taking over as head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in 2019. In 2021, he was named head coach of the India men’s team, and his three-year tenure culminated in their first ICC title in 11 years.
Rahul Dravid back as Head Coach
RR has not won the IPL trophy since the initial season in 2008; its next best performance was as runners-up to Gujarat Titans in 2022. They missed the playoffs in 2023, placing sixth in the league despite a strong start to the season, but returned in 2024 and were eliminated in Qualifier 2.
Kumar Sangakkara is to remain director of cricket, Vikram Rathour is to be signed as an assistant coach
According to an ESPNCricinfo report, Rahul Dravid just joined the organization and has had preliminary discussions about player retention ahead of the forthcoming mega auction. He has a long-standing professional relationship with RR captain Sanju Samson, who rose through the under-19 ranks under Dravid’s guidance.
Dravid will assume leadership of the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. At the same time, Kumar Sangakkara, who has been their director of cricket since 2021, will remain with the franchise and oversee their teams in other tournaments, including the Paarl Royals in the SA20 and the Barbados Royals in the CPL.
Apart from Dravid, Rajasthan Royals are also likely to sign former India batting coach Vikram Rathour. Rathour, a former India selector, was on Dravid’s coaching team at NCA until becoming India’s batting coach in 2019. He will be an assistant coach to Rahul Dravid.
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