'Strange & Awkward'- Rahul Dravid Back at IPL Auction After 8 Years!

The 2025 Indian Premier League's big auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, over two days, from November 24 to 25. After eight years away from the auction table, the renowned former Indian batter and T20 World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid will return to the Rajasthan Royals dugout. 

After winning the T20 World Cup 2024 title, former India head coach Rahul Dravid had a successful last season with the Indian squad. However, prior to his tenure as Team India's head coach, he served as the Rajasthan Royals (RR) director of cricket and mentor in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). Before taking on the positions of director of cricket and mentor in 2014 and 2015, he also captained RR in the IPL in 2012 and 2013. 

Rahul Dravid at IPL 2025 mega auctions:

When Dravid returned to the auction table, he talked freely with BCCI about the main changes from his previous participation in the event. According to Dravid, the teams' organization and procedures have grown more professional. He expressed, “I haven’t attended an auction in a long time—about eight or nine years, to be precise. I remember being part of the first auction in 2008, and it felt strange and awkward back then. Over the years, teams have become more organized and prepared, and the process has become more professional."

He further added, "While I wouldn’t say there are jitters, there’s certainly a level of excitement because you’re building a team. In our case, we’ve retained a strong core, so we’re a little more comfortable, but it’s important to think on your feet and adapt as surprises inevitably come up during the auction."

For those who are unfamiliar, the Rajasthan Royals have kept their core group, which consists of Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sandeep Sharma. As a result, they have already spent 79 crores of the 120 crores that they were given. To strengthen the team even more, they will bid merely 41 crore in the auction.

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