The legendary Rahul Dravid on Thursday reminisced on his time as Team India head coach and recalled how his strong bond with former T20I and Test captain Rohit Sharma contributed to a positive team environment.
Dravid and Rohit were at the helm when India ended their 13-year wait for a world title, when they won the T20 World Cup title in Barbados in 2024.
The triumph in the Caribbean was also redemption for Dravid. He was the skipper when India suffered an ignominious first-round exit in the 2007 ODI World Cup in the same part of the world.
Dravid took a trip down memory lane and reflected on 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 very clear about the way he wanted to lead the team.
"Firstly, he deeply cared about the team. Right from the first day, I think he was very clear
Dravid, known as 'The Wall' during his playing days because of his exceptional defensive skills, felt Rohit's previous captaincy stints helped him shape the team the way he had wanted it to be.
"I've been a player and a captain. A captain is somebody who needs to have a clear vision as to which direction he wants to go. It is the job of the coaching staff to support him and help him in that journey. Of course, you need to sometimes help a captain in terms of getting that clarity and understanding what is required."
"But with Rohit, I thought he was very clear about what he wanted from the team, how he wanted the team environment to be, and how he wanted the atmosphere to be. I think he has had so much experience over the years. It really helped him," Dravid added.
Dravid's three-year stint as the head coach ended after the T20 World Cup triumph, and Rohit too announced his retirement from the shortest format.
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