Rahul Dravid will quit as head coach of the Rajasthan Royals before the start of the IPL 2026 season, and the franchise has confirmed that the former India captain has decided not to assume a wider role after the club reviewed its structure after the IPL 2021. Dravid had been hired as the coach of the team before the 2025 Indian Premier League to coach the team through a difficult season, and chose to leave.
Rajasthan Royals failed to register their presence in the 2025 season under the leadership of Dravid and only gained 8 points after playing 14 games and placed 9th position in the points table. The performance of the team was dismal, but it is clear that Dravid took the young talents under his wing, and most of them impressed with their performances and gave a glimpse of what could be in the future as a star in the league, like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old prodigy.
The Royals, in an official post, recognised the important role played by Dravid, saying that he had been core to the franchise during the several years of the club and had remained an indelible mark on the club culture and values. The franchise had a structural review after the season, which provided Dravid with a greater role in the organization, but he declined it in favor of bringing to an end his service as head coach.
The camp of the Royals has not been spared from investigations as well because of speculations involving captain Sanju Samson. Samson had also missed some games in the 2025 edition with a side strain, and speculations of a potential rift between Samson and Dravid were rife. Nevertheless, Dravid refuted these allegations by noting that the team atmosphere had not been negative. In the meantime, it is being reported that Samson has shown interest in quitting the Royals, although a player and a franchise have not officially reacted to the developments.
The exit of Rahul Dravid is the final part in the history of the franchise as the Rajasthan Royals gear up to IPL 2026.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates
Click Here for Chhattisgarh News
Click Here for Entertainment News