The Rajasthan Royals (RR) are poised to welcome back a familiar face to their coaching staff – former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid. Dravid is set to take the reins as the team’s head coach for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
This appointment marks Dravid’s return to the IPL after a period focused on coaching India’s national team. Dravid previously represented the Royals as a player from 2011 to 2013 and then served as a mentor for the team in 2014. Following his stint with the Royals, Dravid transitioned to coaching roles, leading India’s Under-19 and A teams before assuming the position of Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
In 2021, Dravid took on the prestigious role of India’s head coach, guiding the team to a triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup victory. He also led the team to the finals of both the World Test Championship in June 2023 and the ODI World Cup in November 2023.
While Dravid concluded his initial two-year term as India’s head coach at the end of last year’s ODI World Cup, a request from current captain Rohit Sharma convinced him to stay on.
With Dravid’s return to the IPL, the Royals will be hoping to leverage his extensive experience and coaching expertise to further enhance their performance. Dravid’s assistants during his time with the Indian team, Vikram Rathour (batting) and Paras Mhambrey (bowling), are also in discussions with other IPL franchises for potential coaching roles.