Offered a more expansive role, but ultimately chose to resign. With the IPL team grappling with uncertain leadership decisions that might not have had the former India captain’s “approval,” Rahul Dravid’s departure as head coach of the Rajasthan Royals has more to it than meets the eye.
Only last year did the 52-year-old return to the squad on a multi-year contract, but he has made the decision to leave the team he played for from 2011 to 2013. Over the next two years, he continued to serve as a mentor and director.
The press release issued by RR on Saturday categorically states: “As part of the franchise structural review Rahul had been offered a broader position at the franchise, but has chosen not to take this.”
It omits the fact that Dravid was genuinely being offered a promotion that would restrict his influence over strategic choices pertaining to the main team.
“If you have ever worked with any IPL team, just know one thing. Whenever a head coach is offered a broader role, it is like a punishment promotion. It means you have no role in actual team building process,” a noted Indian coach, who has worked in support staff of a couple of IPL teams, told PTI.
After a terrible 2025 season in which they finished ninth in the league, the Royals may have to make some difficult decisions over a new full-time leader, with veteran captain Sanju Samson already staring at the exit door.
The most well-known cricketer to come out of Assam, Riyan Parag, captained the Royals last season and is seen as the leading candidate for full-time leadership while Samson was sidelined due to fitness concerns.
Was Dravid, however, truly in agreement with the Royals management regarding Riyan’s rise to the top, considering that the squad features a far more accomplished player in Yashasvi Jaiswal in the same lineup?
Not to be overlooked is another Test player, Dhruv Jurel, who was unable to play because of sickness but was expected to lead Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal.
It is hard to believe that the Royals management decided to fire a T20 World Cup-winning coach after just one season, when they also missed Samson, despite the team’s terrible run this year.
As the archetypal man of few words when it comes to anything even somewhat contentious, Dravid is expected to remain silent with dignity.
However, those who have been following the Royals since the previous season believe that many of the choices made by the franchise think tank may not have matched Dravid’s plans for the team.
‘The Wall’, who has long regarded the Kerala batsman as his protégé, must have been equally shaken by Samson’s exit. Furthermore, Riyan’s promotion was insisted upon in spite of a Jaiswal or Jurel.
Riyan only made a major contribution to the IPL in 2024, scoring 573 runs with four half-centuries at a strike-rate of almost 150.
His strike-rate increased to 166+ in 2025, when he led the team in several games, although he only scored 393 runs. In addition, his captaincy during Samson’s absence wasn’t really noteworthy.
Although Jaiswal has not yet proven himself as a leader, he is by far the more accomplished player than Parag.
The fact that Riyan is a middle-order batsman and Jaiswal is an opener makes it difficult to understand why Dravid would choose the latter.
People who know how the Royals play also discussed how important Riyan is to the team’s operations in the North East, even if the lineup has many more talented players.
The Royals’ second home field is Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, and Riyan, a local lad, has a fervent fan base there.
Setting aside all of these considerations, however, the question that still remains is whether Dravid approved of all of the structural choices that RR was making.
