"Maybe he was kicked out..." - AB de Villiers speculates something fishy in Rahul Dravid's decision to step down as RR head coach

Rahul Dravid was the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025.

Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has shared his take on Rahul Dravid stepping down as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals (RR). He said that it felt like a call from an owner, adding that Dravid would’ve been upset. 

In what was a shocking development, Rahul Dravid resigned from the position of head coach ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The franchise confirmed the development on their social media accounts, saying that they offered a higher role to Dravid but he declined. 

After Rahul Dravid resigned, some reports claimed there were different layers behind his decision to step down. The reports claimed that Sanju Samson, with whom he shares a great rapport, leaving the franchise, upset him with management not doing anything about it. 

Also, the franchise wanted to promote Riyan Parag as a brand because of his fan following in Guwahati. They were also keen to make him the skipper, but Dravid was against it as he believed that Yashasvi Jaiswal should’ve been preferred first as he is a regular member of India at the international stage. 

Rahul leaves big footsteps behind and big shoes to fill – AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers feels that it was the owner’s call to part ways with Rahul Dravid. But he added that his absence will leave a huge void in the team. He also pointed out the challenges faced by the coaches and mentors, adding that Dravid might have been kicked out. Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, he said: 

“It sounds to me like it was an owner’s call, a management kind of call. They gave him an option to have a broader role in the team, which he turned down. Maybe he was upset and he wanted to still be involved in that dugout. Maybe it was his call. But Rahul leaves big footsteps behind and big shoes to fill. He is a larger-than-life kind of character and knows a lot about the game. I personally have spoken to youngsters before, where many speak about him having a huge influence on their careers.”

“The coaches and managers in leagues are under pressure to produce results and win trophies. Once they don’t, they start hearing from owners. We don’t know the facts but given he turned down the other role, maybe he was kicked out, which is never ideal. But maybe Rajasthan have different ideas for the upcoming season. Maybe they want to shake things up a bit and move forward.” 

AB de Villiers also lashed out at the RR management for their poor auction. While stressing that the franchise let go of Jos Buttler, he said that a management cannot let a huge bulk of their team go at once. He said: 

“I didn’t think they had the greatest auction last time. They let go of some incredible players like Jos Buttler and a few others, which I thought was a mistake. Sometimes it’s a good thing but not overly aggressive. You can let one or two go but they let a huge bulk of their team go at once. It should be more gradual.”

RR had a poor outing in the IPL 2025. They finished in the bottom half of the table and would be keen to make a strong comeback in the next season.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.