In a recent press conference, Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma revealed his attempts to convince Rahul Dravid, the outgoing head coach, to continue his tenure. This announcement came after Dravid had made it clear that the T20 World Cup would be his last assignment with the Indian team.
Rohit Sharma shares his relationship with Rahul Dravid
Sharma and Dravid share a long-standing relationship, dating back to June 2007 when Rohit made his debut in international cricket under Dravid’s captaincy. Rohit expressed his admiration for Dravid, stating, “He was my first international captain when I made my debut in Ireland. Then I’ve seen him play while I was just coming into the team for Test matches when he was captain. And such a big role model for all of us.”
Dravid, often referred to as ‘The Wall’ for his solid batting technique and ability to withstand pressure, has been a significant influence on the Indian cricket team. His tenure as head coach, which began in November 2021, saw the team’s development in various aspects. Despite not winning a global trophy during the Rohit-Dravid era, the team’s progress under Dravid’s guidance has been substantial.
Rohit acknowledged Dravid’s massive contribution to the team over the past two and a half years. He said, “He’s shown a lot of great determination throughout his career and that is something that when he came here as a coach, I wanted to learn from him. It’s been very fruitful. Other than the big silver (trophy), we won all the major tournaments and series. I’ve enjoyed every bit of it, working with him, deciding what direction the team needs to head.”
Rohit explained that he tried to talk head coach Rahul Dravid – now in his final assignment – into staying in the job for a while longer.#RohitSharma #RahulDravid #Cricket #TeamIndia #T20WC pic.twitter.com/oIEvKQs6tv
— SportsIndiaShow (@SportsIndiaShow) June 5, 2024
However, despite Rohit’s efforts to convince Dravid to stay on, Dravid decided to step down from his role. Rohit, while emotional about Dravid’s departure, respected his decision and acknowledged that Dravid had other responsibilities to attend to.
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