Former Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has been officially appointed as Rajasthan Royals head coach for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Dravid will take over as the head coach of the franchise with immediate effect and will be involved in the planning for the 2025 season, including the upcoming mega auction.
“The former Royals’ captain and coach spent five seasons with the franchise from 2011 to 2015, and will commence with the team immediately, working with Royals’ director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara to implement the franchise’s overall cricketing strategy,” the franchise said in a statement.
Dravid had joined the franchise in 2011, following a three-year stint at the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was named as the captain for the 2012 and 2013 season, before serving as the team director and mentor in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
“I am pleased to be returning to the franchise I have called ‘home’ for a number of years in the past. After the World Cup, I feel it’s the ideal time for me to take on another challenge, and the Royals is the perfect place to do that,” Dravid said in a statement.
“A lot of hard work and deliberation from Manoj, Jake, Kumar and the team has gone into the progression that the franchise has made over the past few years. It’s an exciting opportunity for us to take this team to the next level given the kind of talent and resources we have at our disposal and I'm looking forward to getting started,” he added.
Welcoming Dravid back to the franchise, Sangakkara said, “Rahul is one of the greatest players to have played the game, but what he has achieved over the past decade as a coach is extraordinary. The characteristics that he possesses as a coach to nurture talent but also enable them to consistently perform at the highest level, will allow the Rajasthan Royals to further challenge for the title. I've already had some meaningful conversations with him about his vision for this team, and he is looking forward to delivering the results for the Royals.”