Rahul Dravid parted ways with Rajasthan Royals after IPL 2025.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) have officially confirmed Kumar Sangakkara as their head coach ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. He will take over from Rahul Dravid, who parted ways with the franchise after one season only.
Last year, Dravid was appointed as the head coach after Sangakkara took a broader role at the Royals, but RR endured a mediocre IPL 2025 under his tenure. Dravid’s retention and auction planning, along with in-game strategies, were under scrutiny, and after a season review meeting, RR decided to move on.
He was offered a bigger role in the franchise, but the former India captain and coach decided not to continue. That left the head coach role vacant, and reports about Sangakkara returning to this position had already emerged around a month ago.
The Rajasthan Royals management was unsatisfied with the performance last season, as they ended in ninth spot with only four wins and eight points. That prompted them to make some bold changes in the coaching staff, including a call on Dravid’s future, and they decided to reinstate Kumar Sangakkara as the head coach before the fresh season.
Kumar Sangakkara joined the Rajasthan Royals as the head coach in 2021 and remained in the position until 2024, helping them qualify for the playoffs twice in 2022 and 2024. He left a solid core for Dravid and his staff to work with, which eventually eased their retention planning ahead of the mega auction.
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While Sangakkara has returned as the head coach, he will continue his role as Director of Cricket of the franchise. Meanwhile, Vikram Rathour, who was the batting coach last season, has been elevated to the Lead Assistant Coach position ahead of the next season.
Shane Bond will continue as the bowling coach. However, Trevor Penney and Sid Lahiri have returned as assistant coach and performance coach, respectively.
Both were part of management during Sangakkara’s tenure and have worked closely with the Sri Lankan player, with a clear understanding of how he wants to operate and take the team forward. Essentially, the Rajasthan Royals are looking to return to the strategy and personnel that served them well in the previous cycle, hoping it will help revive their glory days.
A complete summary of the Rajasthan Royals coaching staff for the next season.
Note: Kumar Sangakkara and Vikram Rathour will also oversee batting development, game plans, and overall team preparation.
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