JAIPUR: The captain's armband wasn't quite right. In fact, it was upside down! Rahul Dravid, though, didn't seem to have noticed. Named captain of the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 5 at a formal announcement on Saturday, Dravid was his usual intense self.
"It's a great responsibility. Shane Warne has left behind a great team and I'm looking forward to carrying on from there. It was an excellent experience playing under Warnie and I'll be seeking his advice if required. He is just a phone call away."
Australian legend Warne is yet to decide whether he wants to have any role with Rajasthan Royals, though he did send a congratulatory message to Dravid.
"I would like to congratulate him on his appointment as the captain of the Royals. He is not only one of the world's best batsmen, but a leader par excellence. The Royals squad is a bunch of extremely energetic and talented players who know their role perfectly well. I'm sure they will thrive under Dravid's inspiring leadership."
With Warne no longer there, the Royals will also need a coach, since the leg-spinner was doing double duty as coach and captain. "We haven't really decided on that," CEO Raghu Iyer said.
Warne's assistants in the setup will have a greater role to play. The Royals management also expect Dravid to play a bigger role as a mentor to the younger players. Iyer told TOI the franchise would be interested in buying Kochi Tuskers Kerala players if they are put up for auction.
Dravid had been picked up by Rajasthan Royals during last year's auctions for a relatively low amount. He had been fairly successful in IPL 4. Being the senior-most and the most experienced player in the squad, Dravid was an obvious choice in a squad which has national-side skippers like Ross Taylor and Johan Botha.
Dravid has been in exceptional form in the past few months, even making an ODI comeback against England before retiring from the format. He was one of the brighter spots in an otherwise dismal show in England. With another overseas tour beckoning India, Dravid hopes to make amends in Australia. "We are going to Australia with some cricket behind us."
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