Rahul Dravid will return to Rajasthan Royals as head coach

Rahul Dravid is all set to return to Rajasthan Royals (RR) as head coach ahead of the 2025 IPL season, after culminating his tenure as India’s coach after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup in June this year. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Dravid recently signed a contract agreement with the franchise and held initial talks to retain the players ahead of the upcoming mega auction. He has a long-term working relationship with RR captain Sanju Samson, who came through the Under-19 ranks on Dravid’s watch. Dravid has a history with RR. He captained them in the 2012 and 2013 IPLs and served as team director and mentor in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In 2016, Dravid moved to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) before becoming the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in 2019. He was appointed head coach of the Indian men’s team in 2021 and ended his three-year tenure with their first ICC title in 11 years. RR is likely to sign former India batsman Vikram Rathour as one of Dravid’s assistant coaches. Rathour, a former India coach, was part of Dravid’s coaching staff at the NCA before becoming India’s batting coach in 2019. It is understood that while Dravid will take charge of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Kumar Sangakkara, who has been their director of cricket since 2021, will continue with his franchise and look after his teams in other leagues – Paarl Royals in SA20 and Barbados Royals in CPL. RR have not won the IPL title since the inaugural season in 2008; their next best finish was in 2022 when they finished second to Gujarat Titans. They failed to make the play-offs in 2023, finishing fifth in the league despite a great start to the season, but did so in 2024, going out in Qualifier 2.
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