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Nasser Hussain stated that with Cheteshwar Pujara's retirement, the game has lost a one-of-a-kind old-school batter. He added that Shubman Gill and Joe Root are reluctant to take on the challenging No. 3 position.

Rahul Dravid has resigned as head coach of Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL-2026 season, a year after his return. The Royals had a disappointing 2025 season, finishing ninth with only four wins, compounded by Dravid's injury.

Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with the Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026, ending a long association as both player and coach. He initially joined in 2011, captained the team, and later mentored and coached, influencing many young cricketers. The Royals acknowledged his significant impact on the team's culture and values, expressing gratitude for his remarkable service.

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals have confirmed that head coach Rahul Dravid will not continue with the franchise ahead of IPL 2026, bringing an abrupt end to his second stint with the team.

Cheteshwar Pujara's retirement marks the end of an era of Test cricket resilience. His record of facing 525 balls in a single innings against Australia in 2017 tops the list of marathon innings by Indian batsmen.

Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin humorously revisited the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy controversy, where Ashwin faced accusations of aiding Australia with spin techniques through a Tamil YouTube video. Dravid jokingly mentioned the criticism he received, suggesting Ashwin's coaching was perceived as superior. Ashwin defended himself, while recalling Mitchell Starc's playful reference to the video during the Indore Test.

Rahul Dravid opened up about his experience working with Rohit Sharma. He praised Rohit's leadership during his tenure as India's head coach from 2021 to 2024. Dravid highlighted Rohit's care for the team and clarity of vision. He said Rohit's experience greatly contributed to his success. Dravid oversaw India’s ICC T20 World Cup triumph in June 2024.

Sanju Samson has scored most of his IPL runs at No. 3, second only to Suresh Raina in terms of overall runs at that position. His record at No. 3 is strong, with an average of 38 and a strike rate of 143 in the IPL. But fitting him in there would mean dropping Tilak Varma, which would also break the left-hand/right-hand balance India have carefully built in their middle order.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old cricketer, was bought by Rajasthan Royals. He scored 252 runs in IPL 2025 with a record-breaking century. Ambati Rayudu praised Vaibhav's talent and bat speed. Rayudu hopes Vaibhav will represent India soon. Vaibhav will join India U-19 team against Australia. The series will start on September 21 in Brisbane. Rahul Dravid will guide him.