IPL 2025: Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid injures leg while playing cricket in Bengaluru
Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid was absent from the team’s pre-season training camp ahead of the IPL 2025 season. The franchise confirmed that Dravid sustained an injury while playing cricket in Bengaluru and will join the squad once he recovers.
“Head Coach Rahul Dravid, who picked up an injury while playing Cricket in Bangalore, is recovering well and will join us today in Jaipur,” the franchise said in a post.Dravid joined RR as head coach after winning the T20 World Cup title as coach with India last year.
Dravid recently played a cricket match with his 16-year-old son Anvay Dravid for the Vijaya Cricket Club in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Group ||| league semifinal.
Vijaya Cricket Club faced early struggles, slipping to 12 for three by the seventh over. Dravid then joined Anvay at the crease, and the duo steadied the innings with a 66-ball partnership, adding 43 runs for the fourth wicket. Dravid contributed 29 runs off 28 balls, striking six boundaries, while Anvay added 22 runs.
Just two deliveries into his innings, the 52-year-old Dravid showed signs of discomfort due to leg trouble but continued to bat. However, in the 18th over, while attempting a run, he suddenly pulled up in pain after a few steps, reportedly suffering a calf muscle injury. Unable to continue, he had to be assisted off the field by his teammates.
Despite the efforts, Vijaya CC were defeated as Jayanagar Cricketers reached their target in just 31.4 overs, resulting in a 5-wicket loss for Dravid’s side.
Head Coach Rahul Dravid, who picked up an injury while playing Cricket in Bangalore, is recovering well and will join us today in Jaipur đź’— pic.twitter.com/TW37tV5Isj
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 12, 2025
Dravid’s journey with RR
Dravid has a history with RR, having captained the team in the 2012 and 2013 IPL seasons and served as team director and mentor in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, he joined Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) before becoming the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in 2019. Dravid was appointed head coach of the Indian men’s team in 2021, leading them to their first ICC title in 11 years before concluding his three-year stint.
While Dravid will lead the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Kumar Sangakkara, who has been their director of cricket since 2021, will remain with the franchise to oversee their teams in other leagues, including Paarl Royals in the SA20 and Barbados Royals in the CPL.
RR have not won the IPL title since their inaugural season in 2008, with their best finish in recent years being as runners-up to Gujarat Titans in 2022. They failed to reach the playoffs in 2023, finishing fifth despite a strong start, but qualified in 2024, only to be knocked out in Qualifier 2.
