A couple of months after guiding India to title win at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, batting legend Rahul Dravid has been announced as the head coach of IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals. Dravid’s tenure as India head coach ended with the world cup and he has now joined RR, a team he represented as a player for five seasons.
“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,” RR said in a statement on Friday.
Dravid says this is the ideal time for him to take n another challenge following his world cup triumph. “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,” he said.
Jake Lush McCrum, CEO of the Royals Sports Group is banking on Dravid’s success with the Indian team. “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,” McCrum said.
“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 added.
RR owner Manoj Badale is hopeful Dravid’s return to the franchise will accelerate their progress. “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,” Badale said.
RR director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara welcomed Dravid’s appointment.
“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,” he said.
“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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