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Kumar Sangakkara replaces Rahul Dravid as Rajasthan Royals head coach for IPL 2026

Anurag Dasgupta

RR appoint new head coach [Source: @IPLT20.COM] RR appoint new head coach [Source: @IPLT20.COM]

In the latest development, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have confirmed the appointment of Kumar Sangakkara as their new head coach for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The Sri Lankan great replaces Rahul Dravid, who was the coach of the side for the previous season. Earlier, the legendary player was the Director of Cricket for the Royals, but has now been given the task to lead RR’s new era.

Sangakkara previously served as the head coach of RR from 2021-2024, and was succeeded by India great, Rahul Dravid. The Royals had a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign as they failed to qualify for the playoffs and Dravid was removed from his post as RR wanted a change in their back-room staff.

Sangakkara's first statement after becoming RR head coach

After officially becoming the head coach of the RR, Sangakkara was pleased to be back in his former role, and he vowed to help RR achieve success in the upcoming IPL season.

“I’m honoured to return as Head Coach and continue working with this talented group. I’m also pleased to have a strong coaching team alongside me. Vikram, Trevor, Shane, and Sid each bring valuable experience in their areas, and together we are focused on preparing the players in the best possible way," Sangakkara said in an official statement.


“We have a clear understanding of where we want to go as a group, and our aim is to build a team that plays with clarity, resilience, and purpose,” he added.

Why RR removed Rahul Dravid as head coach

Dravid joined the RR coaching department after leading India to their second T20 World Cup title in 2024. However, the move never paid off as the team finished second-last in the points tally, with 4 wins out of 14 matches played.

Moreover, his tenure was marred by the Sanju Samson controversy, as the RR skipper was not happy with the management’s decision to demote him to number 3 in the batting order. Hence, as a result of poor IPL performances and mismanagement, Dravid’s tenure ended prematurely.