Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers weighed in on Rahul Dravid’s unexpected departure from Rajasthan Royals, suggesting the head coach might have been asked to leave. Drawing parallels with the increasing pressure faced by coaches and managers in football leagues such as the Premier League, De Villiers remarked that Dravid’s decision to step down after just one season at the helm could well have been an owner’s call.
Rajasthan Royals announced on August 30 that they had parted ways with Dravid after the former India coach declined a broader role offered to him. The franchise said the position had been created following a structural review ahead of the 2025 season.
Dravid, a former Royals captain, had been recruited after his successful stint with Team India. Fresh from guiding India to T20 World Cup 2024 success, he was expected to deliver similar results with the franchise under Sanju Samson’s leadership. However, things failed to go to plan as Rajasthan finished ninth in the 10-team league. From a poor auction strategy to inconsistent performances and unsettled team selection, the Royals endured one of their worst campaigns in recent years.
“Sometimes, as you’ve seen in football leagues like the Premier League, coaches and managers are always under pressure to perform and bring trophies home. Once they don’t, they start hearing from the owners who make the decisions for the teams. We don’t know the facts really. It sounds to me that the fact he turned down the other role meant he was sort of kicked out, which is never ideal,” De Villiers said on his YouTube show.
“But maybe Rajasthan have different ideas for the upcoming season. Maybe they want to shake things up a bit and move forward,” he added.
While Dravid has yet to speak publicly about his exit, speculation suggests he did not agree with several of the franchise’s plans, including the move to make Riyan Parag captain for IPL 2026.
OWNER’S CALL
De Villiers hinted that Dravid might not have been comfortable stepping back from a hands-on role, suggesting the former India skipper preferred being fully involved as head coach.
In the past, several IPL coaches have transitioned into mentor or director of cricket roles, but such positions rarely involve the same level of day-to-day control or close engagement with the players.
“I don’t know what exactly happened there. It sort of sounds to me like an owner’s call. They gave him an option to have a broader role in the team, which he turned down. Maybe he was upset and still wanted to be in that dugout. Maybe it was his call. We don’t know, but we’ll find out in the future,” De Villiers added.
The former Proteas star also criticised the Royals for their auction strategy. The 2008 champions released several of their biggest match-winners — including Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin — ahead of the mega auction last year.
Rajasthan further struggled with injuries to captain Sanju Samson, leading to frequent chopping and changing at the top. In Samson’s absence, Riyan Parag was handed the reins for a couple of games.
“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 good to make changes, but not overly aggressively. You can let one or two go, but they released a huge bulk of their team at once. It should have been more gradual,” De Villiers observed.
The Royals now face a crucial phase, with rumours rife that Samson may be on his way out of the franchise. All eyes will be on how the reshaped Rajasthan management approach the mini auction, scheduled for November or December.
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