Kumar Sangakkara appointed Rajasthan Royals head coach after Rahul Dravid’s controversial exit
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Kumar Sangakkara is set to be reappointed as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals after Rahul Dravid made his exit. Kumar Sangakkara has been RR's Director of Cricket since 2021.
Rajasthan Royals' former head coach, Rahul Dravid, had signed a multi-year contract with the side, but it ended in a short stint, as the former India coach parted ways with the franchise. The franchise claimed that Dravid was provided a broader position, but he had chosen not to take it.
Amid the dilemma over Sanju Samson's retention for the upcoming IPL season, the Rajasthan Royals have considered bringing back the veteran coach under whom Samson led the franchise to an IPL final after a huge gap.
Kumar Sangakkara to return to the Rajasthan Royals in a lead role
The Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, is all set to return in a lead role in the Royals coaching staff following the exit of Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the IPL franchise. As per the latest reports from ESPNcricinfo, the RR Director of cricket is firming up for the position with the franchise.
Since 2021, Sangakkara has doubled up for the roles of Director and head coach. Under his watch, the skipper, Sanju Samson, led the franchise to the playoffs twice in four seasons and also to the finals for the first time in IPL 2022 after winning it back in 2008.
He would be taking up the role again after Rahul Dravid, who was hired as the head coach by the franchise immediately after he won the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, made his exit following the 2025 IPL season.
Sangakkara's biggest priority will be sorting out RR's captaincy
The biggest priority for Kumar Sangakkara will be sorting out the captaincy for the Rajasthan Royals. Sanju Samson asked the franchise to release him ahead of the 2025 season. It was reported that Samson told the franchise that he wanted a change and hence desired to be released.
Samson has been the most experienced player in the RR camp, and his success was limitless under Kumar Sangakkara. While RR did cast the net with several franchises offering Samson as a trade-in player swap, they have not been successful.
Riyan Parag, who led Rajasthan Royals on several previous occasions, might be cited as the ideal player to replace Samson in the role of RR skipper.
Vikram Rathour and Shane Bond to continue, while former coaches are all set to return for the Royals
It has also been learned that the Rajasthan Royals have retained former Indian batter Vikram Rathour as the assistant coach and that former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond is also likely to continue in the role of their bowling coach.
It is understood that Kumar Sangakkara's former partners, Trevor Penney and Siddhartha Lahiri, who were both part of Sangakkara's support staff, might be reappointed by the Rajasthan Royals.
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