IPL: Rahul Dravid declined ‘blank cheques’ from other franchises to relink with Rajasthan Royals – Reports

Newly-appointed Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid reportedly declined ‘blank cheques’ from other franchises to relink with his former IPL team ahead of the next season.

Dravid, Team India's head coach until recently, joined Royals’ backroom staff, with RR announcing the news on social media in collaboration with football transfer news king Fabrizio Romano.

Having switched bases in 2011 from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to Rajasthan Royals, Dravid played, captained and later mentored the franchise before opting out of the IPL circuit to join India-A and India U-19 teams, respectively, in a mentor role.

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After tasting success at the junior level, where India won the Under-19 World Cup in 2018 under his tutelage, Dravid replaced Ravi Shastri as the senior team’s head coach on a three-year contract.

Though India played three ICC finals during this time – the 2023 WTC Final, the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup, they lost two but won the one in the shortest format in the Americas.

Given how far India has come in all formats, mainly during Dravid’s tenure, all ten IPL franchises kept a tab on his availability ahead of the next season.

Dravid returns ‘home’

Per a report in the Cricbuzz, some teams had even offered the former India great ‘blank cheques’ to accept the head coach role, but Dravid knew his next destination would be the franchise he once called his ‘home’.

"I am pleased to be returning to the franchise I have called 'home' for a number of years in the past," Dravid said in a statement.

"After the World Cup, I feel it's the ideal time for me to take on another challenge, and the Royals is the perfect place to do that … It's an exciting opportunity for us to take this team to the next level given the kind of talent and resources we have at our disposal and I'm looking forward to getting started,” he continued.

Meanwhile, the franchise’s CEO, Jake Lush McCrum, also acknowledged Dravid’s loyalty to the franchise while accepting how good his coaching skills have been.

"We are delighted to be bringing Rahul back to the franchise," RR CEO Jake Lush McCrum said.

"His exceptional coaching capabilities are evident with the transformation he's driven in Indian cricket. He also has a deep connection to the franchise, and we've seen that passion come through in all our conversations. Rahul has already got to work with Kumar (Sangakkara) and the rest of the team as we prepare for this exciting new period for the franchise, starting with IPL retention and the auction just around the corner,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)