Skipper Rohit Sharma on Rahul Dravid: Tried to Convince Him to Stay as Head Coach

Skipper Rohit Sharma has greeted coach Rahul Dravid as he takes charge of his last assignment for the national team i.e T20 World Cup 2024. Dravid, who confirmed his desire to leave the head coach role after T20 World Cup has enjoyed a successful spell in charge but one that did not end the nation’s ICC trophy hunt. However, Rohit on Tuesday said that he tried convincing Rahul Dravid to stay in charge but was ultimately failed.

“I tried convincing him to stay but I think there are a lot of things that he needs to look after. I 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 (more),” Rohit said while speaking to the media on Tuesday evening ahead of India vs Ireland T20 WC.

“Look, my equation with him goes a long way, a long way back from the time he came to do this job. Actually, he was my first international captain when I made my debut in Ireland,” Rohit said.

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Dravid has enjoyed a successful stint in charge of the Indian side after taking over from Ravi Shastri in 2021. He led India to Test series win against England while also helping them reach the semifinals of the T20 World Cup in other significant achievements.

His coach contract ended at the 2023 ODI World Cup where India finished runners-up to Australia. His finest achievement was leading India to the final of the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship where his men fell short to Australia on both occasions.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to extend Dravid’s stay at least until the T20 World Cup. However, Dravid on Monday stated that he won’t be reapplying for the role and will leave after the end of his current stint.

India will be in action on Wednesday evening for the first time in the T20 World Cup in New York when they face Ireland. The 2007 champions will field a strong team and are likely to include Virat Kohli for the first time on the tour.

The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya will also feature alongside skipper Rohit in the match. The match will start at 8:00 PM IST with the toss taking place at 7:30 PM IST.