IPL 2025 : Rahul Dravid is set to return to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as head coach for the 2025 IPL season following the conclusion of his stint as India's Head coach after their T20 World Cup triumph in June 2024.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Dravid has recently signed a deal with the franchise and has also engaged in discussions about retaining players ahead of the upcoming Mega Auction. RR's current captain Sanju Samson has had a positive relationship with Dravid and fans are eager too see the two work together.
Dravid who was the oldest captain in Rajasthan Royals' history when he took over in IPL 2012 at the age of 39 led the team to a 7th finish in his first season. The Royals improved to third place in 2013 but fell short against the Mumbai Indians in the final.
In the Champions League tournament later in 2013, Dravid guided the Royals to the final once more but they were again defeated by the Mumbai Indians again.
In terms of winning percentage, Dravid holds the best record among Rajasthan Royals captains, having won 23 of his 40 matches with a win rate of 57.50%.
Dravid served as the Royals' mentor in 2014 and 2015 before transitioning to roles as head coach for India's Under-19 and A team, Head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in 2019, and eventually head coach of the senior Indian team from October 2021.
Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara has been the cricket director of Rajasthan Royals since 2021.
RAHUL DRAVID TO RAJASTHAN ROYALS...!!!
- Dravid is set to be the new Head Coach of Rajasthan Royals in IPL. [Espn Cricinfo] pic.twitter.com/VFjYzUVNvE
The Rajasthan Royals have not won the IPL title since their inaugural season in 2008. Their best performance since then was as runners up in 2022, losing to the Gujarat Titans.
They failed to reach the playoffs in 2023 and were eliminated in Qualifier 2 in 2024. However, with the return of Dravid and the continued leadership of Sanju Samson, the Royals have a promising opportunity to secure their second IPL title.
