Rahul Dravid Set to Reunite with Sanju Samson as Head Coach for Rajasthan Royals: Report

Rahul Dravid, the legendary cricketer known for his exceptional batting skills, is making a comeback to coaching and he has decided to do so in the high-profile Indian Premier League. After his successful stint as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, where he led them to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Dravid has now inked a deal with his former IPL team, Rajasthan Royals. Having previously captained the Royals in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, Dravid later served as the team's director and mentor in 2014 and 2015. His return to the franchise is highly anticipated by fans and players alike, as they look forward to his wealth of experience and expertise guiding them to success in the upcoming seasons.

According to a report on ESPNCricinfo, Dravid has already signed a contract with RR and discussed the plans for the next season, including player retention, ahead of the 2025 auction.

Dravid had a successful tenure as Team India's head coach as India played the finals of the 2023 WTC and ODI World Cup and finally ended India's ICC title drought with the 2024 T20 WC title in Barbados earlier this year. He took a break after finishing his tenure with the Indian team and was seen enjoying Paris Olympics events from the stands.

The report also suggested that he might team up with Vikram Rathour, India's batting coach, as Dravid's coaching staff.

Rajasthan Royals qualified for the playoffs twice in the last three seasons under the guidance of Kumar Sangakkara, who is also the franchise's director of cricket operations. Dravid will replace Sangakkara as the head coach of Royals, but the Sri Lankan legend will continue his association with the franchise and will manage their other teams in different leagues - Paarl Royals in the SA20 and Barbados Royals in the CPL.

The inaugural champions have not won an IPL title since 2008. They came close in 2022 to reclaim the glory but lost the final to Gujarat Titans. They would want Dravid to end their title drought, which he also did with the Indian team earlier this year. Dravid will reunite with Sanju Samson, who is all set to be retained as RR captain for another season. Samson blossomed first under the 52-year-old.