Big news for cricket fans! Rahul Dravid, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, has been appointed as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals for the Indian Premier League (IPL). After finishing his role as India’s head coach with a T20 World Cup win in June, Dravid is now taking on a fresh challenge with the Royals. This marks a return for Dravid, as he was with the Rajasthan Royals from 2011 to 2015, both as a player and coach.
The team announced that Dravid will be joining the squad immediately, and he will be working closely with Kumar Sangakkara, the Cricket Director of Rajasthan Royals.
Sanju Samson and Rahul Dravid’s Strong Bond
One of the key stories in this new chapter is the strong relationship between Dravid and Rajasthan Royals’ captain, Sanju Samson. Dravid has been a mentor to Sanju from the beginning of his cricket career. In fact, when Sanju first started playing in the IPL, it was under Dravid’s captaincy at Rajasthan Royals. Their bond goes back to Sanju’s early days as a junior cricketer, and Dravid has been instrumental in guiding his career.
Even when Rajasthan Royals faced a two-year ban, Sanju followed Dravid to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), where he continued to improve his game under Dravid’s coaching. Now, with Dravid back at Rajasthan Royals, fans are excited to see how this partnership will take the team forward.
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Rajasthan Royals’ Search for a Second Trophy
Rajasthan Royals, the first-ever IPL champions in 2008, have been waiting for a second title for a long time. Though they reached the final in 2022, they couldn’t win the trophy, which was taken by Gujarat Titans. In 2023, they missed the playoffs, and in 2024, they were knocked out in the second qualifier.
Now, with Rahul Dravid as the head coach, there is hope that the Royals can finally win their second IPL trophy. Dravid’s calm and steady approach is expected to help the team improve and bring out the best in players like Sanju Samson.
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Dravid’s Vision as Coach
Rahul Dravid is excited about this new role. He said that after the World Cup, he felt ready for a new challenge, and Rajasthan Royals was the perfect fit. The team’s CEO, Jack Lush McCrum, praised Dravid for his amazing coaching abilities, which he showcased with the Indian cricket team. McCrum also said that Dravid’s long connection with Rajasthan Royals makes this a great reunion.
The owner of Rajasthan Royals, Manoj Badale, shared his excitement, saying that while the team has improved over the past few years, there’s still a lot to learn. He believes that having Dravid back will speed up the team’s progress and help them achieve their goal of winning another IPL title.
