NEW DELHI: Rahul Dravid, who masterminded India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, is set to take over the role of Rajasthan Royals’ head coach for IPL 2025.
Dravid, who is currently on a short career break since India’s victory in Barbados in June, will soon start working with the franchise on important matters such as player retention ahead of the auction later this year.
“The talks have reached the final stages, and he will soon step into the head coach job,” a source close to the development told PTI.
Kumar Sangakkara, who has been the Royals’ Director of Cricket since 2021, will continue in his role and is likely to be more hands-on with Barbados Royals (CPL) and Paarl Royals (SA20).
Dravid has a long-standing association with the Royals, having captained them for two seasons in 2012 and 2013, before serving as mentor for two more years.
He then moved to Delhi Capitals in a similar role in 2016 and continued with the team until he assumed the role of head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
In 2021, he moved on from the NCA to take up India’s head coach role from Ravi Shastri.
Now, at the Royals, Dravid will reunite with Sanju Samson, who is all set to be retained as RR captain for another season.
Samson first blossomed under the 52-year-old.
Meanwhile, ESPN Cricinfo reported that Vikram Rathour, who was India’s batting coach during Dravid’s tenure, could be roped in by the franchise as its assistant coach.