Rajasthan Royals (RR) principal owner Manoj Badale has revealed about the major matters related to the franchise ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Badale supported the promotion of Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara as head coach after his stint as director of cricket and also refuted speculations about the sale of the franchise.
Rajasthan Royals have appointed Kumar Sangakkara as their head coach. He will serve in dual roles as head coach and director of cricket. Rahul Dravid resigned from his post after a disastrous 2025 season. The Jaipur-based franchise managed just four wins from 14 matches and finished ninth in the points table.
It was a difficult decision – Manoj Badale on replacing Rahul Dravid with Kumar Sangakkara
Manoj Badale said that the decision to appoint Kumar Sangakkara was aimed at “simplification” and not a judgment on Rahul Dravid’s performance. He described the call as difficult. Badale also called Dravid one of the best coaches in India.
“It was a tough decision. This is not a new coach; Kumar has coached us before. It was really about simplification. No judgment on Rahul, I think he is probably one of the greatest coaches in India. So yes, it was tough, but it was a decision, and it’s been done.”
Dravid featured for the Royals despite suffering a knee injury that required him to use crutches throughout the season. Although the franchise later proposed an expanded role for him, Dravid decided against it and opted to step down from his position as head coach.
This has been going on for 17 years, there is nothing new in it – Manoj Badale
Manoj Badale rejected the speculations about Rajasthan Royals being put up for sale and said that such things have come up repeatedly in the last few years and there is no truth in them. He called it a common rumor and not a real incident.
“This has been going on for 17 years, there is nothing new in it,” Badale said. He clarified that this is just an assumption.
The franchise took bold decisions in the team ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. One of the biggest moves was the trade of long-time captain Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings. However, before the mini-auction, Rajasthan got Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja in return.
Rajasthan Royals sign nine players in IPL 2026 auction
Rajasthan Royals signed nine players in the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16. They entered the auction with Rs 16.05 crore in their purse and nine slots to fill, including one overseas spot.
Royals signed Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi for Rs 7.4 crore after an intense bidding war with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to strengthen their bowling attack.
Rajasthan added uncapped players Sushant Mishra, Vignesh Puthur and Yashraj Punja. They later went head-to-head with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to secure another uncapped player, Ravi Singh.
They also signed Aman Rao, Brijesh Sharma and Kuldeep Sen to add depth to the squad. Their only overseas purchase came in the quick round, where they selected New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne.
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