‘The relationship with Rohit Sharma will always be treasured’ - Former Indian coach on his partnership with captain

Former India head coach Rahul Dravid reflected on his working relationship with current ODI captain Rohit Sharma, lauding the star batter’s ability to emotionally connect with players and create a positive team environment. Dravid highlighted that Rohit cared deeply for his teammates, maintained a light and cheerful atmosphere in the dressing room, and always provided clarity about his goals.

Dravid further explained that his own coaching philosophy aligned seamlessly with Rohit’s leadership style. He believed it was important for the captain to run the team, and Rohit’s clarity of thought gave him full confidence to allow the skipper to take charge. Their partnership proved highly successful, guiding India to consistent performances, including a run to the final of the 2023 ICC World Cup.

"I always felt he deeply cared about the team. Right from the first day, he was very clear about how he wanted to run the team and what was important to him. I think it’s really important in a relationship between a captain and coach. I always believed it should be the captain’s team,” said Dravid on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube Channel.

“I have been a player and a captain as well. A captain has to lead the team in terms of the direction he wants to go in. You have to help him in that. And of course, you need to help a captain in terms of helping him get clarity and understanding what’s required,” he added.

Dravid also revealed that Rohit played a pivotal role in convincing him to continue as head coach after he had considered stepping down following the 2023 World Cup final defeat. The skipper’s encouragement persuaded Dravid to stay on, and the duo went on to script history by guiding India to T20 World Cup glory in 2024 at Barbados, ending the team’s 11-year wait for an ICC trophy.

"With Rohit, I thought he was very clear in what he wanted from the team, how he wanted the environment to be, how he wanted the atmosphere to be. I think his experience helped him set these things. For me, it was just working with him, challenging him at times on certain things, but also working with him to ensure that he was able to be comfortable in that space,” said Dravid

“Once he was comfortable in that space, I knew he was going to perform and get everyone else to perform. Also, one of the things with him is he was very calm, he connected really with the team, and didn’t go up and down too much. At least, he never gave me that impression. He maintained that balance and calmness," he added.

Dravid said his relationship with Rohit would always be treasured, valuing the opportunity to share meaningful conversations with him both on and off the field. In an emotional farewell note to Dravid at the end of the coach’s tenure, Rohit revealed that his wife Ritika had jokingly referred to Dravid as his ‘work wife,’ a lighthearted reflection of the closeness that defined their partnership.

"More than anything, I really enjoyed getting to know him as a person, chatting with him. We were comfortable to be able to sit and have conversations with each other without having to talk only about cricket. It was easy to sit and meet with him and have dinner. It wasn’t forced. That was nice," Dravid said.

"Having seen him as a young kid, an U19 kid, giving him his first cap and then seeing him grow as a leader was really nice. His whole strength was his ability to emotionally connect with players. You experienced that. I think you (Ashwin) enjoyed being able to talk to him and challenge him and know he wouldn’t get upset," he added.