IPL: Rahul Dravid appointed head coach of Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals on Friday announced that Rahul Dravid will be joining the franchise as a head coach after signing a multi-year contract.

Dravid’s tenure as India’s head coach ended in June after he helped the Men in Blue win the T20 World Cup, their first ICC title since the Champions trophy in 2013.

“The former Royals’ captain and coach spent five seasons with the franchise from 2011 to 2015, and will commence with the team immediately, working with Royals’ director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara to implement the franchise’s overall cricketing strategy,” the Royals said in a statement.

Watch it till the end because yes, this is happening! 🔥💗 pic.twitter.com/yh5Ozz395E

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 6, 2024

Dravid was the captain of the Royals in IPL 2012 and 2013 and then was the team director and mentor for them in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

After leaving the Royals in 2016, Dravid had signed with the Delhi Daredevils and stayed there till 209 when he was named the head of the National Cricket Academy. He was appointed the coach of the Indian cricket team in 2021 and recently ended his tenure after 3 years.

“After the World Cup, I feel it’s the ideal time for me to take on another challenge, and the Royals is the perfect place to do that,” Dravid said after returning to RR.

“His exceptional coaching capabilities are evident with the transformation he’s driven in Indian cricket. He also has a deep connection to the franchise, and we’ve seen that passion come through in all our conversations,” Jake Lush McCrum, CEO of the Royals Sports Group said.

Rahul Dravid is coming back to SMS! 🤯💗 pic.twitter.com/CaepUJyKl5

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 6, 2024

“Rahul has already got to work with Kumar (Sangakkara) and the rest of the team, as we prepare for this exciting new period for the franchise starting with IPL retention and the auction just around the corner,” he said.

“We have made fantastic progress in our on-field performance over the past few years, but there is still lots to learn, improve and grow. His return will, hopefully, further accelerate our progress and will be a great boost for everyone involved, most importantly our players and our fans,” said lead owner Manoj Badale.

Sangakkara said, “Rahul is one of the greatest players to have played the game, but what he has achieved over the past decade as a coach is extraordinary.” “The characteristics that he possesses as a coach to nurture talent but also enable them to consistently perform at the highest level, will allow the Rajasthan Royals to further challenge for the title,” he added.

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