After saying goodbye from T20 cricket, Rahul Dravid will be seen as a mentor of Rajasthan Royal team. Royals CEO Raghu Iyer confirmed that Rahul Dravid will remain as a part of the Rajasthan Royals. He says, “Yes, Rahul will be a part of our support staff”.
“He will play the role of a mentor.” However, Dravid’s exact designation is yet to be worked out. “That is something we will decide with him,” Iyer said.
Dravid was a part of the Royals team that attended the IPL meeting in Singapore. “He was sitting with us throughout the meeting,” Iyer said. “Our association with Rahul has been very fruitful in the past and we are sure it will be so in the future also.”
Paddy Upton will continue to remain as the head coach. Although his contract expires later this month, the Royals have worked out a new one with him. In fact, the support staff is likely to remain unchanged. As Iyer would put it, things have fallen splendidly in place for the Royals as far as the support staff is concerned.
Although Dravid was the Royals skipper for the past two seasons, he was also a mentor, particularly for the younger players in the squad. The players have looked up to him for inspiration.
Even during the times of crisis (the spot-fixing scandal), Dravid had a very crucial, although difficult role to play. In fact, he and Upton together ensured that the Royals tide over the crisis in a fairly successful manner.
Dravid, in all probability, will sit with the Royals management during the auctions in January. Once the players retention issue has been sorted out, Jaipur-based franchise is likely to keep Australian Shane Watson.
In fact, the captain’s mantle could now pass on to Watson, who has been a true blue Royal since the first edition of the T20 tournament in 2008. Watson had a central role to play in that edition, when the Royals, under Shane Warne, became champions.
src: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/news/Rahul-Dravid-to-stay-at-Rajasthan-Royals-as-mentor/articleshow/26755093.cms