Former India great Rahul Dravid was officially unveiled as Rajasthan Royals’ new head coach on Friday (September 6), the IPL franchise, in collaboration with football transfer news king Fabrizio Romano, announced on social media.
More than two months after leading Team India to its second T20 World Cup title in the Americas, Dravid returned to his former franchise, for whom he played, captained and mentored before.
After his first stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (as a player) from 2008 to 2010, Dravid played for Rajasthan Royals for the next three years (from 2011 to 2013) and later, in 2014, served as their mentor. He then walked out of the IPL circuit, taking over the head coach role with India-A and India U-19 teams.
Under his tutelage in 2018, the India U-19 men’s team won the World Cup. In 2021, three years later, he became the Team India head coach, replacing Ravi Shastri.
Although India played three ICC finals under him – the 2023 WTC Final, 2023 ODI World Cup Final and 2024 T20 World Cup Final, they lost two and won the last one.
India also won the 2023 Asia Cup under his guidance.
Meanwhile, at the RR from next season onwards, Dravid will work closely with RR’s Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, who coached the franchise for four years until recently.
“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,” Sangakkara said at Dravid’s appointment as RR’s new head coach.
“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,” he continued.
‘I am pleased to be returning home’
Dravid spoke his heart out upon his return to the franchise he once called ‘home’.
“I am pleased to be returning to the franchise I have called ‘home’ for a number of years in the past,” Dravid said.
“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.
“A lot of hard work and deliberations 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 concluded.
Meanwhile, Dravid, who has already resumed work at the franchise, will be tasked to chalk out the retention plan once the BCCI publicly announces revised rules.
