It's for us to do it for Rahul Dravid: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma offered a heartfelt tribute to coach Rahul Dravid on the eve of the 2023 Cricket World Cup final. India are set to face Australia in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19.

Rohit and Dravid embody a yin-and-yang dynamic in their batting philosophies. However, when these two stalwarts unite, they form a harmonious duo, seamlessly merging their divergent styles for a shared objective. Prior to the crucial final, the opening batter expressed that the impending clash is their collective effort to honour and perform for Dravid.

"What he has done for Indian cricket is massive. And he also feels that he wants to be part of this big occasion. And it's for us to do it for him," Rohit was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

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The captain further reflected on the coach's role in providing players with the freedom to express themselves and wholeheartedly supporting them. 

"There's one thing for me to think about and the other thing for the coach to not agree to certain things. Clearly, looking at how Rahul bhai himself has played his cricket and how I am playing these days, obviously it's quite contrasting. For him to agree and give me that freedom and liberty to go and play the way we want to play, that says a lot about him.

"Also, the way he stood by the players in difficult times where during the T20 World Cup, we had a good run up until that semi-final and we lost and how he reacted to certain situations and informing the players about this is what we are looking at and all of that says a lot about him as well," he added. 

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The 36-year-old further highlighted the significance of role clarity for players in this competition. He expressed his belief that the entire team has crafted a brand of cricket that has captivated admiration from the global cricket community. The captain also affirmed Dravid's crucial role in clearly defining the expectations for each player in the ongoing tournament.

"If you have decided something we have to go and implement that. Obviously, the roles have been given to certain individuals as to what their roles are for this team and what can benefit the team. And I think 99.9% we played that brand of cricket. 1% that 0.1% I have taken out because you cannot always be perfect. That's why I have just taken out that 0.1% but I am very pleased with the messaging that Myself and Rahul has given to the boys and boys have responded to that pretty well," the opening batter further said.