After a disappointing IPL season, Rahul Dravid has parted ways with Rajasthan Royals. Former teammate AB de Villiers now claims Dravid was forced out after refusing a ‘broader’ role, igniting speculation of a rift with management.
September 1, 2025: The Rajasthan Royals no longer have Rahul Dravid, a well-known Indian cricketer, as their head coach. The squad is going through a big transformation. He had only been back on the team for a little over a year. The Royals came in ninth place in the dismal IPL 2025 season since they only won four of their 14 games. On Saturday, the group agreed to the move.
The team’s official statement praised Dravid’s “indelible mark on the culture of the franchise,” but it also revealed a key fact: Dravid was offered a “broader position” within the company as part of a “structural review,” but he turned it down.
A lot of people who know a lot about cricket and the news media don’t accept this and think that Dravid’s departure was more than just a resignation. On his social media program, former South African great AB de Villiers said that he thought Dravid was “sort of kicked out” after he turned down the new job. A lot of people agreed with De Villiers when he suggested that football leagues fire coaches who don’t win.
People who know the franchise well have said more about the matter. They think that the “broader role” was a “punishment promotion” to deter Dravid from making decisions on the field. People are saying that Dravid and the team’s management aren’t getting along as well as they used to, especially when it comes to choosing the next captain. Some people claim Dravid didn’t like that the team made Riyan Parag the full-time captain because they already had good players like Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Dravid has been Sanju Samson’s teacher for a long time. There are claims that he was worried about the unknowns about the long-time captain’s future with the company.
Dravid, who guided India to victory in the T20 World Cup in 2024, left the Rajasthan Royals without telling them. They have a lot of work to do to get back on their feet. The future of the franchise is questionable as they prepare ready for the IPL 2026 season. Their captain is going to get into a brawl, and they need a new coach.
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