Kumar Sangakkara set to take charge of Rajasthan Royals' coaching staff

Former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara served as the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) Director of Cricket since 2021. However, he doubled as the head coach of the franchise till the 2024 edition of the tournament. In IPL 2025, Sangakkara's responsibilities were reduced after Rahul Dravid came on board as the head coach.

Dravid captained RR in IPL 2012 and 2013. He also served as their mentor in the two subsequent editions. In IPL 2025, the Royals had a dismal campaign, managing just four wins in 14 matches. They finished ninth on the points table. Dravid parted ways with the franchise after the end of the tournament, refusing to take up a broader position. After coaching India to the T20 World Cup title in 2024, the 52-year-old had signed a multi-year deal with the inaugural champions. However, his association ended quite abruptly.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Sangakkara could return to spearhead the coaching staff ahead of IPL 2026. Whether he will reprise the head coach's role is not clear as yet.

If Sangakkara does take up a more prominent role in the franchise, his hands will be full, as he will have to look for an ideal replacement for Sanju Samson. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter has led the Royals since 2021. However, according to reports, he is looking for a change ahead of IPL 2026.

The Royals have apparently spoken to a few franchises about possibly trading the 30-year-old. However, the Pulluvila-born continues to be a part of the Rajasthan-based franchise. Samson was among the six players retained by the Royals last year ahead of the mega auction. His services were acquired for a whopping INR 18 crore. However, he failed to live up to his expectations, missing five matches due to injuries.

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Sangakkara was the first coach to take Rajasthan to the finals of the IPL since their triumph in the first-ever season in 2008. Under Samson's leadership, Rajasthan made it to the IPL 2022 final, where they were outclassed by debutants Gujarat Titans. During Sangakkara's first stint as RR head coach, the franchise made the playoffs twice in four seasons. He is expected to play a key role as the franchise hopes for a resurgence in 2026.