Rajasthan Royals appoint former Kings XI Punjab star as coach for IPL 2026

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have appointed Kumar Sangakkara, former Punjab Kings (then known as Kings XI Punjab) captain and the franchise’s Director of Cricket, as head coach for IPL 2026. The announcement was made by the franchise on Monday, November 17.

The legendary former Sri Lanka captain previously served as the Royals’ head coach from 2021 to 2024. During his tenure, the team reached the final of the 2022 season, where they lost to the Gujarat Titans (GT). The 48-year-old takes over from Rahul Dravid, who led the team as head coach for the 2025 edition but stepped down in August 2025.

On Monday, the Royals shared a post on X, stating:

“Official: Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara will also take charge as Head Coach for IPL 2026.”

Meanwhile, the Royals also confirmed that Vikram Rathour has been promoted to lead assistant coach, while Shane Bond will continue as the fast bowling coach. The franchise will be hoping to improve their fortunes after a disappointing IPL 2025, in which they finished ninth, earning just eight points from 14 matches.

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Rajasthan Royals to have a new captain for IPL 2026

As Kumar Sangakkara returns as head coach of the Rajasthan Royals, the franchise will also need to appoint a new captain for IPL 2026. Former skipper Sanju Samson was traded to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the retention deadline on November 15, with the Royals acquiring veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in return.

With Samson no longer part of the squad, Sangakkara faces the task of selecting a new leader to guide the team in the upcoming season.

Here’s a look at the players retained by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 auction: Yashasvi Jaiswal (₹18 crore), Shimron Hetmyer (₹11 crore), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (₹1.10 crore), Lhuan dre Pretorius (₹30 lakh), Shubham Dubey (₹80 lakh), Dhruv Jurel (₹14 crore), Riyan Parag (₹14 crore), Jofra Archer (₹12.50 crore), Sandeep Sharma (₹4 crore), Nandre Burger (₹3.5 crore), Tushar Deshpande (₹6.50 crore), Kwena Maphaka (₹1.50 crore), Yudhvir Singh Charak (₹35 lakh), Ravindra Jadeja (₹18 crore), Sam Curran (₹2.40 crore - both traded in from Chennai Super Kings), and Donovan Ferreira (₹1 crore - traded in from Delhi Capitals).

Edited by Dev Sharma