AB de Villiers reveals why Dravid left Rajasthan Royals

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers on Tuesday suggested that Rahul Dravid’s exit as Rajasthan Royals head coach may not have been voluntary.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers said it appeared that Dravid was not just stepping down but was ‘pushed out’ of the setup.

“Sometimes you see it in the Premier League as well, where managers and coaches are always under pressure to deliver trophies. When results don’t come, owners and decision-makers step in. We don’t know the full facts, but it sounds like his exit wasn’t entirely his choice,” de Villiers remarked.

He further noted that Dravid turning down another role with the franchise gave the impression that he was forced out.

“It sounds to me like, because he turned down that other role, he was sort of kicked out, which is never ideal. But maybe Rajasthan wants to shake things up for the upcoming season,” he added.

De Villiers also criticised Dravid’s approach at the player auction, calling it a key factor in the team’s struggles during IPL 2025.

“I don’t think they had the greatest auction last time. They let go of some incredible players, including Jos Buttler, which I thought was a big mistake. Sometimes releasing players can help, but you can’t do it too aggressively. Letting a huge bulk of the squad go at once caused a gradual decline,” he explained.

It is pertinent to mention that Dravid on last week stepped down as the head coach of Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Dravid will no longer hold any position with the franchise, which he has represented as both a player and coach over many years. Dravid joined the Royals ahead of the IPL 2025 season, following his tenure as head coach of the Indian men’s team.

Under his guidance, the Royals struggled in the 2025 season, finishing ninth in the points table with eight points from 14 matches.

Dravid first played for the Royals from 2011 to 2015, captaining the side in 2012 and 2013, before mentoring the team in 2014 and 2015.

Following his stint with the Royals, Dravid took charge of India’s Under-19 and India A teams and was appointed Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy in 2019.

He became head coach of the Indian men’s national team in 2021 before returning to the IPL as Rajasthan Royals’ head coach in 2025.