Rahul Dravid Parts Ways With Rajasthan Royals: Another Uncertainty

Rahul Dravid parts ways with Rajasthan Royals to bring-in a fresh uncertainty for the club. The franchise confirmed on Friday that the 52-year-old would not continue as head coach after a campaign that yielded only four wins from 14 games and a ninth-place finish.

It ends, neatly enough, another chapter in Dravid’s unusually varied association with the Royals: first as captain, then as coach, now as coach again. Each stint has carried his unmistakable imprint: composure, patience, insistence on doing things the right way even when results refused to play along.

The Royals’ statement was warm, bordering on elegiac. Dravid, it noted, had “influenced a generation of players, instilled strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise.” They even offered him a “broader position” as part of a post-season structural review. He declined, perhaps unsurprisingly. Dravid has always preferred clear roles and clean breaks.

Rahul Dravid Parts Ways With Rajasthan Royals: Only One Headache Among Many

But if his departure closes one door, it opens another set of headaches for Rajasthan. Chief among them: the Sanju Samson question. Their captain missed most of the season with injury and is now thought to be angling for a move elsewhere. By rights, Rajasthan could hold him — his contract runs two more years, and IPL regulations favour the franchise. But how much sense is there in clinging to an unhappy talisman?

It is no secret that Chennai Super Kings have sniffed opportunity. Samson even sat down with their coach Stephen Fleming during Major League Cricket in the US. CSK are said to prefer a straightforward cash trade. Rajasthan, perhaps bruised by a poor season, are pressing instead for two players in return. History suggests CSK rarely bargain. Remember Robin Uthappa in 2021: an all-cash deal, no quibbling.

So the Royals find themselves in that classic T20 franchise bind: between loyalty and pragmatism, sentiment and calculation. They have already farewelled a coach who lent them dignity in difficult times. They may now have to farewell the player who, when fit, embodies their hopes on the field.

Dravid will walk away much as he always has: with quiet dignity, the kind that makes even his employers sound grateful for the privilege. The Royals, meanwhile, have choices to make — and little time before the next season turns up, impatient and unsparing as ever.

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