On Saturday, August 30, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) made a bombshell announcement regarding the future of the India legend and their head coach, Rahul Dravid, at the franchise.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) surprisingly stated that they have decided to part ways with Rahul Dravid ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 and praised his remarkable services for the team.
Rahul Dravid started the Rajasthan Royals journey in 2011
The legendary Indian batsman Rahul Dravid started off his journey with the inaugural IPL champions in 2011 when he was bought by the Rajasthan Royals after being briefly in danger of going unsold as the Royal Challengers Bangalore did not bid for him.
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He repaid the faith of the franchise by scoring 343 runs in the season and emerged as the team’s top run-scorer. In the next season, Dravid was appointed as the new captain of the team and continued in the role till 2013.
In those two seasons at the helm, Rahul Dravid was excellent with the bat as he scored 462 and 471 runs. Also, he captained RR in 40 matches and won 23.
He served as the team mentor and director in 2014 and 2015 and had a decent stint. Then, Rahul Dravid was officially named as the new Rajasthan Royals head coach in September 2024, on the back of his triumph with Team India in the T20 World Cup 2024.
He signed a multi-year deal with the franchise, but in IPL 2025, Rajasthan Royals finished in ninth spot on the points table with just four wins in 14 matches, and the two parties decided to part ways.
Notably, Rajasthan Royals offered a broader strategic role to Rahul Dravid after a structural review, but he chose not to accept it.
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Rahul Dravid left Rajasthan Royals because of a rift with Sanju Samson?
The departure of Rahul Dravid from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) has come amid the controversy surrounding the captain, Sanju Samson, who has asked for his release from the franchise, with many blaming the rift between the duo for the head coach’s exit.
However, a report in Cricbuzz has peeled off the layers of Rahul Dravid’s exit, which looks sudden in nature but isn’t actually one. After the conclusion of IPL 2025, team owner Manoj Badale called for a season review meeting in London, where Dravid was present, and he was offered a “broader” role that he rejected.
Although Dravid’s exit has been linked to Sanju Samson, it is not exactly the case. The disagreements between Dravid and Samson were no more than the usual coach-captain spat, and things got better between them during the end stages of the competition.
“Their relationship was believed to have been no more than the usual, normal, and regular disagreements that are seen in the relations between any coach and captain. In fact, both of them are old Royals hands, and one would only assume that their getting together would be critical to the franchise’s future, and by all accounts, this was on view in the last few games, where they seemed to be syncing together nicely to win a few games,” the Cricbuzz report read.
Notably, Samson’s unhappiness wasn’t purely about Dravid, and currently, there are three schools of thought at RR; the first one is favouring Riyan Parag as future skipper, another camp wants Yashasvi Jaiswal at the helm, while the third group wants Sanju Samson to continue at the helm.
Kumar Sangakkara to succeed Dravid?
RR Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara could succeed Dravid as the head coach, but the final decision on this matter will be made after a meeting in London, where Vikram Rathour will also be present.
“It is not clear whether Sangakkara has been invited to the London meeting, but it is understood that Vikram Rathour, the former India batting coach who joined the Royals alongside Dravid last year, is likely to attend. For now, it seems that Rathour is expected to continue with the franchise,” the report added.
Also, several IPL franchises are keen to have Dravid in their setup, and the India legend could be seen in one of the team’s dugouts in the upcoming seasons.
Coming back to the Sanju Samson matter, the Kerala superstar wanting to leave isn’t directly connected to Rahul Dravid; hence, his exit won’t lead to a change in the batter’s mind, with the final decision in the franchise’s hands.
“Dravid’s presence or absence makes little difference, as Samson’s relationship with the franchise has reached a stage where he requested the franchise to look for a trade on his behalf. This clearly indicates he is looking for a new direction. But leaving the team cannot be Samson’s choice,” the Cricbuzz report read.
⭐️Cricbuzz Exclusive ⭐️
Rahul Dravid’s exit from Rajasthan Royals may look sudden.
But whispers had been growing for months: about the coach, the captain, and the direction of the team.
The full story 🧵 pic.twitter.com/f6Gf5NgPDQ
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) August 30, 2025
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