Shane Warne to coach Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2018 as Rahul Dravid ends association with tournament: Report

Since Rahul Dravid has been given a contract extension for two years as the coach of India A and U-19 squads, the Royals management has already started to search for his replacement.

New Delhi: After being accused of conflict of interest, veteran Indian cricketer and coach of India U-19 and India A squads Rahul Dravid decided to part ways with the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Dravid, who was a mentor for Delhi Daredevils for the last two years, was given a contract extension for two years by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"Over the last two years, Rahul Dravid has been instrumental in getting young talent into the mix who have proved their worth on the big stage," the BCCI Acting President, CK Khanna said.

"We are glad to continue his services for the next two years and are sure that this is a bright sign for Indian cricket which will see many more young talents coming up in the future," he added.

Now that Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, two franchises who were suspended for two years will be back in 2018 edition, the Royals management has already started to look for a coach for their team.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the Royals' management is in talks with Shane Warne – the legendary Australian leggie who also guided the team to title triumph in 2008.

After Warne ended his association with the Royals, Dravid, along with Paddy Upton, played a crucial role in unearthing news stars for the franchise, eventually making them a force to reckon with in the competition.

The two banned franchises --- Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals -- are all set to comeback in the next edition of the league having served two-year suspensions for their involvement in 2013 spot-fixing saga.

The two teams were replaced by Rising Pune Supergiant and the Gujarat Lions who won't get a contract extension from next year onwards.