Rahul Dravid to return to Rajasthan Royals as head coach before IPL 2025 - Reports

Rahul Dravid captained Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2012 and 2013.

Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid is set to return to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the role of a head coach ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction, according to reports.

Dravid coached the Indian cricket team to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy in June, after which his tenure as the national team’s head coach came to an end.

He is set to return to the IPL fold with the Royals, a franchise he has previously had a long association with. Dravid led RR for two IPL seasons, in 2012 and 2013. After retirement, he was their mentor and team director in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

In 2016, Dravid joined Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) and was in the role until he became the head of BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in 2019. The former Indian skipper was then appointed as the head coach of the national team in late 2021, replacing Ravi Shastri.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, “Dravid recently signed a deal with the franchise and has had initial conversations on player retentions ahead of the upcoming mega auction.”

Vikram Rathour to join Rahul Dravid at RR

While Dravid will take the head coach duties, RR are reported to continue with Kumar Sangakkara, their director of cricket who also has served as their coach. Sangakkara will continue to work with RR’s sister franchises in other leagues – Paarl Royals in the SA20 and Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Further, it has also been reported that RR will appoint former India batting coach Vikram Rathour as one of Dravid’s assistant coaches. Rathour and Dravid have worked together in the last few years in the Indian team’s coaching staff.

The inaugural champions, Rajasthan have made only one final after 2008, which they lost to Gujarat Titans in 2022. Last season, they reached the playoffs and were knocked out in Qualifier 2 by Sunrisers Hyderabad

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.