Rahul Dravid, the head coach, was also the Indian captain during their unsuccessful 2007 World Cup run. Despite being grouped with Bangladesh, Bermuda, and Sri Lanka, the Men in Blue faced an early elimination.
However, after 16 years, Dravid now has the chance to overcome those painful memories by achieving victory as a World Cup-winning coach. He emphasizes that he has already let go of thoughts about his playing career and is fully committed to the task at hand.
In a press conference on Friday, Rahul Dravid shared his thoughts on transitioning from the captain of a World Cup team to a coach:
“It’s a long time since I was a player. I almost forgot that I was actually a cricket player at one stage to be very honest with you. I have moved on from that. I don’t think of myself as a player anymore. Maybe that’s the mind space difference… I’m focussed on helping the group to do the best they can.”
Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid: Once the game starts, it’s the captain’s team
Rahul Dravid stated that once Team India takes the field, the decision-making process is entirely in the hands of skipper Rohit Sharma. He added that his responsibility was to assist the captain in making choices and to foster a positive team atmosphere.
Dravid stated:
“Honestly, once the game starts, it’s the captain’s team. It’s the team that needs to take it forward, they need to execute it, they need to do the job. As a coach I see my work in the lead-up to the games, in the lead-up to this World Cup, trying to get the squad we got eventually. Building up the team, building up the squad and then hoping to allow the players to play and express themselves to have fun.”
Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid has not ruled Shubman Gill out of India’s first 2023 World Cup match against Australia on Sunday, October 8.