Legendary batter Rahul Dravid is expected to take over as head coach of the
Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the 2025 IPL season, after leading Men in Blue to
lift the 2024 T20 World Cup title as the head coach. According to reports, Dravid
recently signed a contract with the franchise and has had discussions on player
retentions ahead of the upcoming mega auction. Sanju Samson, the RR captain,
has been a longtime collaborator; under Dravid’s guidance, Samson rose through
the under-19 ranks.
David and RR have a long-lasting connection. He captained the Royals team in the
IPL 2012 and 2013, and he served as mentor and team director in the 2014 and
2015 seasons. Dravid joined the Delhi Daredevils (now the Delhi Capitals) in 2016,
and in 2019 he was appointed head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
He took over as head coach of the India men’s team in 2021, and at the end of his
three-year tenure, the team won their first ICC championship in eleven years.
Vikram Rathour, a former Indian cricketer, is also expected to join RR as one of
Dravid’s assistant coaches. Rathour was a member of David’s coaching team at
the NCA. The former selector also served as India’s batting coach from 2019 to
2024. While Dravid will take charge of the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, it is
anticipated that Kumar Sangakkara, who has served as the team’s director of
cricket since 2021, will stay on as director and manage the teams in other leagues,
the Barbados Royals in the CPL and Paarl Royals in the SA20.