Rahul Dravid Set To Return As Rajasthan Royals’ Head Coach For 2025 IPL

In a major move ahead of the 2025 IPL season, Rahul Dravid is set to return to Rajasthan Royals (RR) as head coach, following the conclusion of his tenure as India’s head coach after the team’s T20 World Cup victory in June 2024.

According to reports that Dravid has already signed a deal with RR and has begun discussions on player retentions ahead of the upcoming mega auction.

Dravid’s close working relationship with RR captain Sanju Samson, who was groomed under his guidance in the under-19 setup, is expected to be a significant factor in their strategy moving forward.

Dravid is no stranger to Rajasthan Royals. He captained the franchise in 2012 and 2013 and later served as team director and mentor in 2014 and 2015.

He then moved to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2016 before taking charge of the National Cricket Academy in 2019. In 2021, he became the head coach of the Indian men’s team, culminating his stint with India’s first ICC title in 11 years.

Rajasthan Royals are also likely to bring in former India batter Vikram Rathour as one of Dravid’s assistant coaches. Rathour, who was part of Dravid’s coaching staff at the National Cricket Academy and later served as India’s batting coach, is expected to bolster the Royals’ coaching setup.

While Dravid will take the reins for the IPL, Kumar Sangakkara, who has been RR’s director of cricket since 2021, will continue to oversee their other franchise teams, including Paarl Royals in the SA20 and Barbados Royals in the CPL.

Rajasthan Royals, who won the inaugural IPL title in 2008, have struggled to replicate that success. Their best finish since was in 2022, when they were runners-up to Gujarat Titans.

Despite a strong start in 2023, they finished fifth, missing the playoffs, but managed to reach Qualifier 2 in 2024 before being knocked out. Dravid’s return is seen as a pivotal move to revive the franchise’s fortunes.

With inputs from ESPNcricinfo..