Is Sanju Samson Behind Rahul Dravid RR Exit?: IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals announced today that the team’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, will be leaving his coaching duties with immediate effect. This, among other things, puts RR in massive turmoil. Some are now raising the question:Is team captain Sanju Samson behind Dravid’s release?
In a statement released by the Jaipur-based franchise today, they announced that Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with RR before IPL 2026 and the auction. The statement revealed that, after a structural review, the franchise offered Rahul a broader role within the organisation, which he refused.
“Head coach Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with the franchise ahead of IPL 2026,” a press release from RR stated. “Rahul has been central to the Royals’ journey for many years. His leadership has influenced a generation of players, instilled strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise.
“As part of the franchise’s structural review, Rahul had been offered a broader position at the franchise but has chosen not to take this. The Rajasthan Royals, its players, and millions of fans worldwide extend heartfelt thanks to Rahul for his remarkable service to the franchise,” the statement read.
Is Sanju Samson Behind Rahul Dravid RR Exit?
Dravid, a legend of Indian cricket, has been synonymous with the Rajasthan Royals for a long time. Joining the team as a player in 2011, he would spend his final few seasons in the IPL as a captain-mentor. In 2014 and 2015, he also served as the team director.
After a tenure as the head coach of the Indian Cricket Team, which ended with the team winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, Rahul returned to RR, this time as the head coach.
However, under ‘The Wall’, RR’s 2025 season was a disaster. From being one of the best teams over the past three seasons to finishing ninth in 2025. That came after what many believe was an underwhelming IPL 2025 mega-auction.
And now, it seems that the dominoes are falling one by one for the Royalls. A month or so ago, it was reported that team captain Sanju Samson, after a poor IPL season, wants to leave the team and join CSK. News also emerged that the ownership of both teams was working on a trade deal.
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Talks of Sanju’s departure came after a disastrous 2025 season for the side. First, they let a lot of their major players go ahead of the mega-auction. Reports suggested that Samson was particularly miffed with the departure of Jos Buttler from the team.
Also, throughout the season, while there was no official or even a reported word on it, it seemed that captain Sanju and coach Dravid grew distant over the span of the season. However, this is pure speculation.
It is this very speculation that has birthed another hypothesis in the minds of theory-makers. Many on social media are surmising that it is Sanju Samson who is behind Rahul Dravid’s RR departure. Such theories suggest that the removal of Dravid might be one of the demands that Sanju made as part of him staying with the team. However, as stated before, this is, at best, speculation.
It seems that, following Rahul Dravid’s departure, Sanju Samson will now remain with the Rajasthan Royals. As for who will replace The Wall? The best man for the job has to be Kumar Sangakkara, the team’s head coach from 2021 to 2024. While Sangakkara took the team to the playoffs twice in that span and even had a finals appearance, he was shifted to the role of Director of Cricket for RR when Dravid walked through the door.
Check Out: Is Sanju Samson Behind Rahul Dravid RR Exit
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