Rahul Dravid has returned as IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals' head coach after his stint with India came to an end in June this year.
On Friday, the franchise announced that Dravid had signed a multi-year deal starting immediately. This is Dravid's first job since stepping down as India men's head coach following their successful T20 World Cup campaign.
Dravid has been previously associated with the Royals, first as the team’s captain during the 2012 and 2013 IPL and then as team director for the next two seasons. In 2016, he switched allegiance to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) before becoming the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
On his appointment, Dravid said: ""I am pleased to be returning to the franchise I have called 'home' for a number of years in the past. 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."
🚨 Brendon McCullum is now England's all-format coach of the senior men's team.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 3, 2024
He will assume the role in white-ball cricket from January 2025.
READ: https://t.co/JxI3x7IUan pic.twitter.com/2qEkaGE06u
Dravid set to succeed Kumar Sangakkara
Dravid will take over from the side's director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara, who has additionally held the position of head coach since 2021. He had words of praise for Dravid, saying: "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.
"I've already had some meaningful conversations with him about his vision for this team, and he is looking forward to delivering the results for the Royals."
After winning the inaugural edition, the Royals’ best finish came in 2022 during their runners-up run. They qualified for the playoffs this year but were eliminated in Qualifier 2.
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