Rohit Sharma, while attending a press conference prior to the World Cup, revealed his earnest appeal to the present India Head coach, Rahul Dravid, to extend his stay in the position with the Men in Blue. However, he also stated that Dravid has made his intentions very clear that he will be leaving the team after his recent contract ends.
Rohit said this to the press
“I tried convincing him to stay, but obviously, there are a lot of things that he needs to look after as well. But yeah, I’ve personally enjoyed my time with him. I’m sure the rest of the guys will say the same. It’s been great working with him, and I hope… I’m not going to say anything, actually. I’m not going to say anything.”
It is inevitable that the skipper-coach duo shared outstanding chemistry on and off the field. Rohit also said that he played under Dravid as a youngster, with him in the early days of his career, and now under his mentorship and guidance. Playing under all three conditions, he has learned immensely from the veteran and has spoken highly of his tremendous abilities.
Dravid will be last seen as team India head coach in the T20 World Cup 2024, after which the new India coach will take charge from July onwards. Dravid, as known by all cricket fans in India and abroad, has had a stunning work load throughout his splendid career, featuring both as a player and a coach.
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During his playing days, Dravid was considered one of the most dependable men on the field, often considered one of the most underrated yet finest servants of Indian cricket. His contributions have no bar, as he has rescued India in several tough matches and has served to be a keeper to fill in the void before the great MS Dhoni arrived.
“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 silverware, I think we’ve won all the major tournaments and series and all of that.
Rohit kept showering praise on the Indian coach
However, the Indian skipper, even for once, didn’t seem overconfident about sending the maestro away with an ICC trophy to his name. Rohit repeatedly hinted at his new game and new approach strategy, saying they are just looking at one game at a time.
The Indian captain also showed immense faith in his other senior campaigners
“I’m sure everyone in the team has their own way of dealing with tournaments like the World Cup. And I’m sure they’ll make the right calls as well. But for me, I think it’s important not to look too far ahead. Just think about what we need to do tomorrow. Play the game well, and then take it from there. We won’t think too much and put ourselves under pressure.”
Dravid also claimed that India has undeniably played great cricket at all ICC tournaments. They were the most convincing performers since Dravid’s first T20 World Cup in 2022 as the Indian head coach. But despite all this, Dravid made a clear indication that he would not claim the position of head coach further post the end of his contract after the T20 World Cup.