"Maybe he was upset" - RCB legend's stunning claim on Rahul Dravid's departure from Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026

2025 IPL - Rajasthan Royals v
Rahul Dravid endured a dismal 2025 season as RR head coach [Credit: Getty]

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter AB de Villiers wondered if Rahul Dravid was upset with the Rajasthan Royals (RR), leading to his departure from the franchise. Dravid was appointed RR head coach ahead of the 2025 IPL season in a multi-year contract.

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However, the franchise announced the former Indian captain's departure after just one season. The statement also suggested RR offering Dravid a 'broader position' within the system, something the former Indian head coach declined.

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The inaugural IPL champions endured a season to forget this year, winning only four out of 14 games and finishing ninth in the standings.

Talking about Dravid's seemingly unceremonious departure from RR, De Villiers said on his YouTube channel (8:29):

"It sounds to me like it was an owner's call, a management kind of call. They gave him an option to have a broader role in the team, which he turned down. Maybe he was upset and he wanted to still be involved in that dugout. Maybe it was his call. But Rahul leaves big footsteps behind and big shoes to fill. He is a larger than life kind of character and knows a lot about the game. I personally have spoken to youngsters before, where many speak about him having a huge influence in their careers."
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He continued:

"The coaches and managers in leagues are under pressure to produce results and win trophies. Once they don't, they start hearing from owners. We don't know the facts but given he turned down the other role, maybe he was kicked out, which is never ideal. But maybe Rajasthan have different ideas for the upcoming season. Maybe they want to shake things up a bit and move forward."
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Dravid coached Team India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title before taking up the role with RR.

"I didn't think they had the greatest auction last time" - AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers questioned RR's moves before and during the IPL 2025 auction, months after the side endured one of the most disappointing seasons this year. The franchise retained six players: Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, and Shimron Hetmyer ahead of the 2025 auction.

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Yet, they released several star players like Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal, among others.

"I didn't think they had the greatest auction last time. They let go of some incredible players like Jos Buttler and a few others, which I thought was a mistake. Sometimes it's a good thing but not overly aggressive. You can let one or two go but they let a huge bulk of their team go at once. It should be more gradual," said De Villiers (via the aforementioned source).

RR enjoyed reasonable success in the three-year cycle from 2022 to 2024, with Buttler and Chahal playing massive roles. They finished as runners-up in 2022 and qualified for the playoffs last year.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
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