After leading the Indian team to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 as head coach, Rahul Dravid is reportedly preparing for a new role in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Since his time as head coach of the Indian team ended, Dravid has been associated with several teams in the T20 league. Earlier, there were reports that he might join Kolkata Knight Riders, especially since their mentor Gautam Gambhir left to take over Dravid’s former position as head coach of the Indian team.
However, recent reports suggest that Dravid is now in discussions with his former IPL team, Rajasthan Royals.
“Discussions are underway between Rajasthan Royals and Dravid, and an announcement about this is expected soon,” a source told Times of India.
As Dravid looks for a new challenge, Gambhir has started his role as the head coach of the Indian team. He traveled to Sri Lanka with the rest of the team for the upcoming series of limited-overs matches. Before leaving, Gambhir acknowledged that he has a significant responsibility to live up to, given Dravid’s successful tenure as head coach.
After India won the T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating South Africa in the championship game, Dravid playfully mentioned that he would be without a job starting next month and inquired if any reporters had job offers for him. Given Dravid’s talent and valuable experience in Indian cricket, it’s no surprise that various teams are eager to bring him on board.
Dravid decided not to be the head coach for the Indian cricket team because he didn’t want to travel for 10 months each year and be away from his family. However, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a different situation. In the T20 league, Dravid would only need to work with a team for 2-3 months annually, which he finds appealing.
Dravid, a former captain of the Indian team, has previously served as a mentor and coach for IPL teams. He was the coach of the Delhi Daredevils before resigning in 2017 due to a ‘conflict of interest’. After leaving the IPL, Dravid coached India’s youth teams, including the Under-19 and India A teams.
Most recently, he was the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru before becoming the head coach of the Indian team in 2021.
Dravid is now associated with the Rajasthan Royals, and it will be intriguing to see what role he will take on with the franchise.