IPL: What made Rahul Dravid leave Rajasthan Royals after only a season?

The sudden exit of Rahul Dravid as head coach of Rajasthan Royals after just one season at the helm has thrown up more questions than answers – apart from highlighting the dangers of surviving in the IPL ecosystem. While it’s been not a very well kept secret that the former India coach had not been on the same page with the ownership on a few strategic issues, a brazen observation from an IPL insider has only stoked the fire.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers, an IPL giant and familiar with the dynamics of the league for years did not pull back any punches: “I don’t know what exactly happened there. It sort of sounds to me like an owner’s call. They gave him an option to have a broader role in the team, which he turned down.

‘’Maybe he was upset and still wanted to be in that dugout. Maybe it was his call. We don’t know, but we’ll find out in the future,” said the Royal Challengers Bangalore stalwart. While the South African’s jurisdiction  to comment on a boardroom decision of the Royals may be questioned, the IPL is no stranger to big names and reputation being cast aside in a huff for their inability to produce the results. While Dravid’s move is now official, there is also a strong buzz that Zaheer Khan is poised to relinquish the mentor’s role after just one season with Lucknow Super Giants.

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A press release issued by Royals on Saturday said: ‘’As part of the franchise structural review Rahul had been offered a broader position at the franchise, but has chosen not to take this.’’ While The Wall has maintained a dignified silence on his parting of ways with a franchise whom he had served both as a captain and mentor, it’s learnt that an elevation to a fancy position would have effectively curtailed his role in strategic decisions of the main team. There are now unconfirmed reports that Dravid is already being sent feelers by a number of other franchises, but it remains to be seen whether he will be ready to jump onto the IPL bandwagon so soon again.

A lot of the blame is now being heaped at Dravid’s door – with a perception also gaining ground about his efficiency as a successful T20 franchise coach and a poor auction strategy (letting go of a gamechanger like Jos Buttler or the two veteran spinners Yuzi Chahal and Ravi Ashwin). However, if results are the indicator of a coach’s performance, then one cannot discount the high points for the Men in Blue under Dravid like ending the ICC World Cup jinx in 2024 World T20, an all-win run to the final in 2023 ODI World Cup – not to speak of collaborating with Rohit Sharma to guide the team to a World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The Royals, which saw a resurgence of sorts in the cycle between 2022 and ’24, slumped to finish in ninth spot this year and was extremely inconsistent both at both home and away. The buzz is that Dravid was not quite in sync with the team ownership’s decision to hoist Riyan Parag as the stand-in skipper in Sanju Samson’s absence due to fitness issues – despite the presence of a more decorated Yashasvi Jaiswal or another Test player Dhruv Jurel.

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While naming an untried captain is a gamble which often works, the factor which may have swung the vote towards Parag was that the former Under-19 India player – easily the biggest name to have come out of Assam – was that Guwahati had been their ‘second home’ for at least two matches for the past few seasons. Ranjit Barthakur, a businessman from the north eastern state and the executive vice chairman of Royals, is known to have played a key role in bringing a slice of the prized IPL action to Guwahati.  

Parag, who had a prolific season in 2024 with an aggregate of 573 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150, had a decent run last season as well with 393 runs – though he looked out of sorts as a captain in the number of matches he led. It’s almost a given that with Dravid’s known protégé Samson also seeking a release from the Royals before the mini auction at the year-end, Parag will be taking over the leadership on a permanent basis.

Kumar Sangakkara, the Royals mentor who was sidelined after Dravid’s arrival last year, may again be assuming an influential role as the franchise will look to rebuild after a dismal season. The fans, meanwhile, will be hoping for a turnaround from the Halla Bol army at the soonest!