Jaipur: After the Twenty20 World Cup, the former Indian player Rahul Dravid, who took off the Indian coach’s shirt, returned to his old stomping grounds. Dravid will take over as the head coach of IPL team Rajasthan Royals ahead of next season. Dravid was the mentor of the Rajasthan team led by Malayali player Sanju Samson in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Dravid was the captain of the Royals in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Dravid, who was the mentor of Delhi Daredevils since 2016, was with the team until he took over as the head of the National Cricket Academy in 2019. He became the coach of the Indian team in 2021. Rahul guided Team India to win the Twenty20 World Cup, ending an 11-year ICC title drought.

The team also aims to lift the title next season by returning to the Rajasthan camp. There are indications that former India player Vikram Rathod will be the assistant coach along with Dravid. Both had earlier worked together in the Cricket Academy. Former Sri Lankan player Kumar Sangakkara will continue as the team director. The Royals have not won the title since 2008. Last season was eliminated in the playoffs.