Rahul Dravid is slated to return to Rajasthan Royals (RR) as head coach for the 2025 IPL season, following the end of his stint as India’s head coach after their T20 World Cup victory in June 2024.
Sources have revealed that Dravid has recently signed a contract with RR and has already started discussions on player retentions ahead of the mega auction. His working relationship with RR captain Sanju Samson, who rose through the under-19 ranks under Dravid's mentorship, is expected to be a key factor in shaping the team’s strategy.
Dravid’s connection with RR runs deep. He captained the team in 2012 and 2013, later serving as team director and mentor during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In 2016, Dravid moved to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) before taking over as head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru in 2019. His tenure as head coach of India’s men’s team, which began in 2021, concluded with their first ICC title in 11 years.
Additionally, former India batter Vikram Rathour is expected to join Dravid’s coaching staff as an assistant coach. Rathour, a former India selector, had worked with Dravid at the NCA before becoming India’s batting coach in 2019.
While Dravid takes charge of RR in the IPL, Kumar Sangakkara, the current director of cricket since 2021, will continue overseeing RR’s other teams, Paarl Royals in the SA20 and Barbados Royals in the CPL.
RR, who won the inaugural IPL title in 2008, have since struggled to secure another championship. Their best performance since was in 2022 when they finished as runners-up to Gujarat Titans. Although they missed the playoffs in 2023, finishing fifth despite a strong start, they reached Qualifier 2 in 2024 before being knocked out.