Former head coach of the Indian cricket team, Rahul Dravid, has accepted a new role as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dravid, who stepped down from his position with the national team after leading them to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024, is now available for IPL coaching positions. He preferred not to commit to a full-time role that would require his presence for 8-10 months annually, but he was eager to return to the IPL and take on a job that only needs his involvement for 2-3 months each year.
Joining Dravid at the Rajasthan Royals is Vikram Rathour, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Indian team. Rathour will also take on the role of Assistant Coach with the Royals. Importantly, the addition of Dravid and Rathour does not affect the position held by Kumar Sangakkara, who remains the Director of Cricket Operations for the franchise.
According to a report on ESPNCricinfo, Dravid has already signed a contract with Rajasthan Royals, long before the team planning for the big auction starts.
Dravid also has a great relationship with RR’s captain, Sanju Samson, who was part of the under-19 team when Dravid was coaching the younger players.
Dravid played for the Royals as a player. He was the team’s captain in 2012 and 2013, and acted as the team director and mentor in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
He later joined Delhi Daredevils, which is now called Delhi Capitals, in 2016 and stayed there until he became the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in 2019.
Dravid transitioned to working with the Indian cricket team in 2021 when he was named the head coach of the India men’s cricket team. After some close attempts, Dravid led the Indian team to win an ICC trophy, ending their 11-year wait. He helped the team win the T20 World Cup in 2024.
