Rahul Dravid leads India to T20 World Cup win© BCCI/Sports Picks
Former India coach Rahul Dravid is looking for a new challenge as he returns to the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has been roped in as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals. Dravid, who left the Indian coaching post after leading the team to the T20 World Cup 2024, has been roped in for the IPL assignment. Dravid is not keen on a full-time assignment that requires eight to 10 months of commitment in a year, but he is keen on returning to the IPL and taking on a job that will only require two to three months in a year.
Along with Dravid, former Team India head coach Vikram Rathour has also taken over as Rajasthan Royals’ head coach. However, the duo’s arrival does not affect Kumar Sangakkara’s role in the franchise. The Sri Lankan great still remains the franchise’s head of cricket operations.
According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, Dravid and Rajasthan Royals have already signed a contract, much before the team’s plans for a major auction for the squad are even announced.
Dravid also maintains a great rapport with RR captain Sanju Sampson, with whom he played for the Under-19 team when the former Indian captain coached the junior team.
Dravid has also represented the Royals as a player. He was the franchise’s captain in 2012 and 2013, and served as team director and mentor in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
He moved to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2016 and remained with the team until he took charge of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in 2019.
Dravid moved to the Indian cricket team in 2021 as he was appointed as the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. After several narrow misses, Dravid helped India lift the T20 World Cup 2024 title, ending their 11-year wait for the ICC Trophy.
Topics mentioned in this article
