IPL 2026: Rahul Dravid quits as Rajasthan Royals head coach amid Sanju Samson drama

In an absolutely shocking development, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have decided to part ways with the head coach Rahul Dravid ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

The departure of Rahul Dravid from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) comes amid the controversy surrounding the captain, Sanju Samson, who is reportedly set to leave the franchise.

Also Read: Sanju Samson's CSK deal called off!! IPL Auction becomes last option

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Head Coach Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with the franchise - Rajasthan Royals

In an official statement, Rajasthan Royals stated that Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with the franchise ahead of IPL 2026.

RR also revealed that Dravid was offered a "broader position" at the franchise, but he refused to take up that role.

"Rajasthan Royals today announced that Head Coach Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with the franchise ahead of IPL 2026.

"Rahul has been central to the Royals’ journey over many years. His leadership has influenced a generation of players, built strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise.

"As part of the franchise structural review Rahul had been offered a broader position at the franchise, but has chosen not to take this.

"The Rajasthan Royals, its players, and millions of fans worldwide extend heartfelt thanks to Rahul for his remarkable service to the franchise," RR said in an official statement.

Official Statement pic.twitter.com/qyHYVLVewz

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) August 30, 2025

Dravid joined RR as head coach in September 2024

In the first week of September 2024, Rajasthan Royals (RR) officially announced Rahul Dravid as their new head coach.

The Indian legend signed a multi-year deal with RR as he felt it was the right time for him to take a fresh challenge after guiding India to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.

It was a highly anticipated comeback of Rahul Dravid at the Rajasthan Royals because he has been associated with the franchise for a long time.

Dravid captained the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2012 and 2013, before being named as the team mentor in 2014 and 2015.

Although Dravid was pleased to be returning to the franchise he called 'home', the performance of the team turned out to be extremely poor in IPL 2025. They finished in ninth spot on the points table with just four wins in 14 matches and eight points.

What is the Sanju Samson drama?

According to several media reports, superstar wicketkeeper-batsman and RR skipper Sanju Samson has asked for his release from the franchise.

The reports claimed that there were ‘serious differences’ between Sanju Samson and RR team management, which prompted the Kerala star to formally ask Rajasthan Royals to trade or release him.

Sanju Samson, who had signed an INR 18 crore deal with RR in IPL 2025 mega auction, is the most capped player in history for the Rajasthan Royals with 155 games under his belt. He has scored 3002 runs for the team at an average of 31.96 and a strike rate of 140.53.