IPL 2025: Injured coach Dravid arrives at Rajasthan Royals training camp on crutches

New Delhi: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid, who joined the team’s preparatory camp in Jaipur a week after suffering an injury on his left leg during a club match in Bengaluru, arrived at the training session on crutches.

In a video shared by RR, Dravid can be seen coming on a golf cart with a medical boot on to attend a training session and switching to crutches when he got off the cart. Despite carrying the injury and relying on crutches for his mobility, the head coach was actively involved in the training and closely monitored the entire session.

Dravid had injured his left calf muscle while playing for Vijaya Cricket Club against Jayanagar Cricketers in the Karnataka State Cricket Association Group I, League III semifinal for the Sri Nassur Memorial Shield.

The Royals shared a photo of Dravid on Wednesday, in which he was wearing a cast on his left leg, and captioned the post, “Head Coach Rahul Dravid, who picked up an injury while playing Cricket in Bangalore, is recovering well and will join us today (Wednesday) in Jaipur.”

Former India head coach Dravid made a surprise return to the cricket field by playing alongside his younger son Anvay in a KSCA Group I, Division III league match in the Nassur Memorial Shield on February 22.

Dravid and his son Anvay represented the Vijaya Cricket Club (Malur) in a 50-over match against the Young Lions Club at the SLS Kreedangana cricket ground in Bengaluru.

The Indian cricket legend came into bat at No. 6 and made an eight-ball 10 in the match before being dismissed by spinner AR Ullas as the father-son duo forged a brief 17-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Dravid played his second match of the tournament in the semifinal against the Jayanagar Cricketers. When the Vijaya Cricket Club were battling at 12/3 in the seventh over, Rahul joined his son Anvay at the crease.

Two deliveries into his stay, the 52-year-old appeared in discomfort, his leg troubling him, but he continued to play and stitched a 66-ball 43-run partnership with Anvay for the fourth wicket.

The Indian legend battled the injury and played until he had to be helped off the field. But his courage failed to lift the fortunes of the Vijaya Cricket Club, Malur, in the semifinal.

The Rajasthan Royals, who won the title in the inaugural year in 2008 and reached the final again in 2022, will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on March 23.

IANS