"He deeply cared about team": Former India head coach Dravid opens up about his relationship with Rohit

New Delhi [India], August 21 (ANI): Former India head coach Rahul Dravid spilt the beans about working with former T20I and Test captain Rohit Sharma during their stint together that ran nearly for three years.
It was Dravid and Rohit's duo that brought an end to India's 17-year-long thirst for the ICC T20 World Cup trophy in 2024. In a historic final in Barbados, India remained unbeaten to lift the coveted T20 World Cup trophy by trouncing South Africa in a nail-biting contest in the final.
Emotions overwhelmed the Indian camp, including Dravid, who is known for his calm and unfazed demeanour since his playing days. Rohit hid his face on the ground, hiding his tears, while Dravid lifted the title in the air with a jubilant roar. The tormenting pain of the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia faded away as the entire nation experienced euphoria.
Dravid took a trip down memory lane and reminisced about the days when he used to work in tandem with Rohit. The former India head coach felt Rohit, who deeply cared about the team, was clear about the way he wanted to operate the team from the very first day.
"I think it was really good. Firstly, he deeply cared about the team. Know, right from the first day, I think he was very clear about how he wanted to run the team and what was important to him. And that's really important in any relationship with a captain and a coach, and especially the way I coach," Dravid said while speaking to former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Kutti Stories.
Dravid, who earned the sobriquet of 'The Wall', felt Rohit's past captaincy exploits played a part in his objective of shaping the team and the environment the way he wanted it to be.
"I always like to believe that it should be the captain's team. I've been a player and I've been a captain as well. But a captain has to lead it in terms of the direction he wants to go in, and you have to support him and help him in that. Of course, you need to sometimes help a captain in terms of getting that clarity and understanding what is required," Dravid said.
"But with Rohit, I thought he was very clear about what he wanted from the team, how he wanted the environment to be, how he wanted the atmosphere to be, how he wanted things to run. I think he has had so much experience over the years, it really helped. He was very clear on those things," he concluded.
Dravid's stint concluded after the T20 World Cup triumph, and Rohit, too, announced his last dance in the T20Is. Gautam Gambhir was deemed Dravid's successor, marking the new dawn in Indian cricket. At the same time, Suryakumar Yadav took over the captaincy mantle and will strive towards defending the crown on home turf next year. (ANI)