Rahul Dravid, the “Wall” of Indian cricket, has officially hung up his Rajasthan Royals coaching boots after just one season. While the move surprised many, it also opens a fascinating window for several IPL franchises looking to shake things up ahead of the 2026 season. Dravid isn’t just a former player with impeccable credentials; he’s a mentor who has transformed youngsters into match-winners, and now, a few smart teams could ride that expertise to IPL glory. So, which franchises should be dialing up Dravid first? Let’s break it down.
SunRisers Hyderabad
SRH’s 2025 campaign was a wild ride, ending in sixth place after a strong finish in 2024. Daniel Vettori is in charge at the moment, and with SRH needing a jolt, the strangest thing to do is replace him with Rahul Dravid. SRH has some promising young Indian players – Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rahul Chahar – guys that Dravid could turn into players.
Dravid has spent so much time working with India A and the national team and knows how to balance talent, development, and the need to get a competitive result. Putting him with Pat Cummins in the SRH structure could be a potent combination of youth, strategy, and cool-headed leadership and might be the only way to find SRH’s way back to the playoffs. In all honesty, anyone who has been able to get Ishan Kishan’s potential from being explosive and barely winning matches to being a consistent and match-winning performer was a must-have.
Lucknow Super Giants
LSG fans have had a bittersweet run lately. After impressive first seasons, the last couple of years, including a seventh-place finish in 2025, haven’t been kind. Justin Langer’s coaching tenure is under scrutiny, and Zaheer Khan might also be moving on. Clearly, the team needs a fresh spark. That’s where Dravid comes in.
Dravid has worked with Rishabh Pant at different levels and brings familiarity and tactical knowledge. His more methodical style would balance Pant’s considerable natural talent and give Pant an alternative to playing aggressively, to maintain equilibrium in the side. LSG has a young core, and together with Dravid’s calm, strategic mind in pressure situations, it could lead to the turnaround desperately needed.
Kolkata Knight Riders
IPL 2024 champions, they stumbled in 2025, finishing eighth, and parted ways with head coach Chandrakant Pandit. This vacancy could be Dravid’s golden ticket. With a mix of raw talent like Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, and Umran Malik, KKR has the bones of a strong squad—they just need the right brain to guide them.
Dravid is not just a tactics kind of person; he is about culture and discipline. A Dravid presence alone would bring a level of resilience and consistency that has been absent from KKR teams for some time now. If Dravid were paired with a competent captain, it would give them a team that would play structured and smart cricket, and instead of relying on individuals to create wonderful innings, they would knit a team innings together.
FAQs
1. Why did Rahul Dravid leave Rajasthan Royals?
He left RR after one season despite a multi-year contract, declining a broader role offered by the franchise.
2. Why is Dravid a good fit for SunRisers Hyderabad?
His experience in developing young talent aligns perfectly with SRH’s squad of promising Indian players.
3. How can Dravid help Lucknow Super Giants?
He can mentor Rishabh Pant and provide tactical expertise to improve LSG’s recent underwhelming performances.
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