Rahul Dravid’s right-hand man elevated at Rajasthan Royals as Kumar Sangakkara becomes head coach

On Monday, November 17, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) officially announced the appointment of the legendary Sri Lanka National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara as their new head coach.

Kumar Sangakkara, who has been associated with the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) champions for a very long time, will perform a dual role at the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Rahul Dravid replaced by Kumar Sangakkara

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) named the legendary Rahul Dravid as their new head coach as he signed a multi-year deal with the franchise.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Expectations were sky-high as Dravid and the Royals reunited, but the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 turned out to be a disastrous season for the team as they finished at ninth spot on the points table with just 8 points from 14 games.

After the horrible season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Rahul Dravid decided to part ways, and the legendary Indian batter also declined accepting the broader strategic role.

There were also rumours of the turmoil at the Rajasthan Royals (RR) with several coaches being sacked and the skipper Sanju Samson being traded to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

I'm honoured to return as Head Coach - Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara will now serve as the Director of Cricket as well as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals. After his appointment, Sangakkara said that he is honoured to be reappointed as the head coach and expressed excitement over working with the new coaching staff.

"I'm honoured to return as Head Coach and continue working with this talented group. I’m also pleased to have a strong coaching team alongside me. Vikram, Trevor, Shane, and Sid each bring valuable experience in their areas, and together we are focused on preparing the players in the best possible way," Sangakkara said in an official statement.

"We have a clear understanding of where we want to go as a group, and our aim is to build a team that plays with clarity, resilience, and purpose," he added.

Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah will break my head: KL Rahul uncomfortable talking

Vikram Rathour named lead assistant coach

In anooherr major development, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have promoted the batting coach Vikram Rathour. He has been appointed as the lead assistant coach and will be working closely with the head coach on batting development, game plans, and overall team preparation. Also, Shane Bond, Trevor Penney, and Sid Lahiri will continue to be part of the coaching staff.

Talking about Kumar Sangakkara's appointment, the Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale stated that they have complete trust in the Sri Lankan great.

"We are delighted to have Kumar return as Head Coach. As we assessed the team's needs at this stage, we felt that his familiarity within the squad, his leadership, and his deep understanding of the Royals' culture would bring the right balance of continuity and stability, said Manoj Badale, Lead Owner, Rajasthan Royals.

"Kumar has always had our complete trust as a leader. His clarity, calmness, and cricketing intelligence will play an important role in guiding the squad into this next phase," he added.