The inaugural champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals, have announced the reappointment of Kumar Sangakkara as their new head coach from the next season, in addition to continuing his role as the Director of Cricket. He previously served as the head coach of the Royals from 2021 to 2024, which was the period of the side’s clear rise in performance and consistency.

Under his leadership as the coach, the Royals reached the 2022 final of the IPL against the Gujarat Titans and ended up as the runners-up. They also confirmed their place in the playoffs in 2024, which shows the competitiveness of the franchise in those few seasons of the tournament.

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“We are delighted to have Kumar return as head coach. As we looked at what the team needed at this stage, we felt that his familiarity within the squad, his leadership, and his deep understanding of the Royals' culture would bring the right balance of continuity and stability. Kumar has always had our complete trust as a leader. His clarity, calmness, and cricketing intelligence will play an important role.” Manoj Badale, the lead owner, expressed.

Kumar Sangakkara reappointed as Rajasthan Royals’ head coach ahead of IPL 2026

The Rajasthan side has also confirmed that Vikram Rathour has been elevated to lead assistant coach and work closely with the former Sri Lanka captain for the development of the batting departments, along with making various game plans and overall team preparation.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒌𝒂 𝑯𝒖𝒌𝒖𝒎 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VDiZ3pLswD

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) November 17, 2025

“I’m honoured to return as head coach and continue working with this talented group. I’m also pleased to have a strong coaching team alongside me. Vikram, Trevor, Shane, and Sid each bring valuable experience in their areas, and together we are focused on preparing the players in the best possible way. We have a clear understanding of where we want to go as a group, and we aim to build a team that plays with clarity.” Sangakkara addressed.

Shane Bond will continue as the fast bowling coach, providing important continuity to the pace program, along with Trevor Penney and Sid Lahiri returning as the assistant and performance coaches.