'There’s certainly a level of excitement' - Rahul Dravid on attending IPL auction after eight years

Former India Head Coach Rahul Dravid ended his stay with the Indian team on a high after lifting the T20 World Cup 2024 trophy. But, before his reign as Head Coach of Team India, he held the responsibility as mentor and Director of cricket for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). He also captained RR in the IPL in 2012 and 2013 before assuming the role of mentor and Director of Cricket in 2014 and 2015. 

After serving four more years in IPL as Head Coach, he turned his focus towards shaping the futures of India’s Under-19 cricketers. But the veteran has joined hands with RR once again after his stay with the Indian team came to a conclusion. He has been appointed as head coach of RR on a multi-year contract and will sit at the auction table after eight years. He expressed that “there’s certainly a level of excitement”. 

"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,” Dravid said as quoted by India Today.

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“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," Dravid said,” he added.

Rajasthan Royals have spent major chunk of their purse in IPL retentions

For the unversed, Rajasthan Royals have retained their core group in the form of Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma. With this, they have spent 79 crores of their allotted 120 crore purse amount. They will enter the auction with just 41 crore to add further strength to the team.