On Monday, November 17, Rajasthan Royals (RR) officially announced the appointment of legendary wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara of the Sri Lanka national cricket team as their new head coach.
Kumar Sangakkara, who has been linked with the reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions for a long time, will play a dual role at Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Kumar Sangakkara was replaced by Rahul Dravid
Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Rajasthan Royals (RR) named the great Rahul Dravid as their new head coach as he signed a multi-year deal with the franchise.
Expectations were sky-high with Dravid and the Royals reuniting, but the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 proved to be a disastrous season for the team as they finished ninth on the points table with just 8 points from 14 matches.
After a dreadful season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Rahul Dravid decided to part ways, and the great Indian batsman also refused to accept a wider strategic role.
There were also rumors of turmoil at Rajasthan Royals (RR), with several coaches being sacked and captain Sanju Samson being moved to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
I am honored to return as head coach – Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara will now serve as the Director of Cricket as well as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals. Following his appointment, Sangakkara said he was honored to be re-appointed as head coach and expressed his excitement at working with the new coaching staff.
“It is an honor for me to return as head coach and continue to work with this talented group. I am also pleased to have a strong coaching team behind me. Vikram, Trevor, Shane and Sid each bring valuable experience in their respective fields and together we are focused on developing the players in the best possible way,” Sangakkara said in an official statement.
He added, “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, flexibility and purpose.”
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Vikram Rathod appointed chief assistant coach
In another major development, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have promoted batting coach Vikram Rathod. He has been appointed as the Chief Assistant Coach and will work closely with the head coach on batting development, game planning and overall team preparation. Also, Shane Bond, Trevor Penny and Sid Lahiri will remain part of the coaching staff.
Talking about Kumar Sangakkara’s appointment, Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale said that he has full confidence in the Sri Lankan great.
Manoj Badale, principal owner of Rajasthan Royals, said, “We are delighted to have Kumar back as head coach. As we assessed the team’s needs at this stage, we felt his familiarity within the team, his leadership and his deep understanding of the Royals’ culture would bring the right balance of continuity and stability.”
“We have always had full confidence in Kumar as a leader. His clarity, calmness and cricketing intelligence will play a vital role in guiding the team in the next phase,” he said.
