Rahul Dravid: Former Indian coach Rahul Dravid was given a grand welcome at the Rajasthan Royals High Performance Center. Dravid was recently appointed as the head coach of the franchise, and this was his first visit in this position.
The Rajasthan Royals High Performance Center is located in Talegaon, Maharashtra and is the main training ground of IPL team Rajasthan Royals. This state-of-the-art facility is equipped with 14 cricket wickets, indoor nets, a gym and swimming pool. The center organizes seven-day cricket camps every month for children aged seven years and above. In this camp, emphasis is laid on mental strength along with cricket coaching. Also, budding players are also helped to work on their diet and fitness.
The Royals management arranged a special welcome ceremony on the arrival of Rahul Dravid. Young players dressed in army uniforms paraded in honor of Dravid. A traditional Hindu Tilak ceremony also took place during the parade, where a girl could be seen applying a tilak on Dravid’s forehead.
The centre’s recent camp began on Sunday, September 22 and will continue till Saturday, September 28. The aim of the camp is to provide better coaching and guidance to budding cricketers, in which Dravid’s contribution is considered very important.
Rahul Dravid: Watch the video posted by the Royals below:
Welcoming India’s World Cup winner and our Head Coach to the Royals High Performance Centre 💗🏡 pic.twitter.com/A6vtKgqetg
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 25, 2024
Rahul Dravid’s glorious history with Rajasthan Royals
After his successful stint as the head coach of the Indian men’s team, Rahul Dravid will return to Rajasthan Royals after 10 years in IPL 2025. He was part of the Royals from 2011 to 2015; however, he played for the franchise only for the first three years. In 46 matches for the Royals, Dravid scored 1,276 runs at an average of 29.67, including seven half-centuries.
He served as the captain of the team in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, while he was the director and mentor of the team in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. During this time, the franchise reached the playoffs in the 2013 and 2015 seasons.
Rahul Dravid, India's legendary World Cup-winning coach, is set for a sensational return to Rajasthan Royals! 🇮🇳🤝
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 6, 2024
The cricket icon was captured receiving his Pink jersey from the Royals Sports Group CEO Jake Lush McCrum. It is believed that the RR Admin was present too,… pic.twitter.com/C6Q8KRDFgW
Meanwhile, under the captaincy of Sanju Samson, the Royals have improved their performance in the last few seasons. They have reached the playoffs in two of the last three seasons while finishing runners-up in 2022. However, the title still eludes them. The team will hope that the arrival of Rahul Dravid can change their fortunes.