Rahul Dravid likely to join Rajasthan Royals as head coach ahead of IPL 2025

After coaching India to the T20 World Cup title last month, Rahul Dravid is reportedly set for an Indian Premier League (IPL) homecoming, as reports suggest that he is linking up with Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 18th season of the cash-rich league.

Dravid’s tenure as India’s head coach ended with Rohit Sharma and Co. lifting the T20 World Cup after a 17-year-long wait. Following this event, reports had emerged of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders trying to rope in the former India captain into their coaching setup. However, a recent report from the Times of India claims that Dravid’s association with Rajasthan Royals as their head coach is a done deal and that the official announcement is in the offing.

“Talks are going on between RR and Dravid, an announcement in his regard is round the corner,” TOI quoted a source as saying.

In his last address as coach moments after India won the T20 World Cup, Dravid jokingly said that he is now “unemployed” and that any offers are welcome. However, Dravid may have penned down a deal to reunite with a franchise he helped build. The 51-year-old joined the Royals in 2011 as captain and played for three seasons before retiring. In 2014 and 2015, he served as mentor of the franchise.

The inaugural champions currently do not have a head coach, with Sri Lankan stalwart Kumar Sangakkara serving as the Director of Cricket since 2021 while Shane Bond and Trevor Penny are the assistant coaches in the setup. How Sangakkara’s role will change with Dravid’s appointment is still unclear.

Rajasthan had a tumultuous campaign this year in the IPL. They won eight out of their first nine matches under Sanju Samson and seemed like the team to beat. However, they managed to win just one out of their last seven league games to finish No. 3 on the points table. They defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator before losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2.