Rahul Dravid, one of the most respected cricketers of India, served as the head coach of the national men’s team from November 2021 to June 2024. For most of that period, Rohit Sharma captained India across formats and the two shared a strong understanding that shaped some of the biggest achievements of the team in recent years.
Under their leadership, India recorded a remarkable run of ten consecutive wins to reach the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup and, a year later, ended an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy by clinching a major title in 2024.
After completing his tenure as India’s coach, Rahul Dravid returned to the Indian Premier League, taking charge of Rajasthan Royals. Recently, in a conversation with Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube show, Rahul Dravid reflected on Rohit Sharma’s leadership style and spoke about how enjoyable it was to work with him.
Rahul Dravid said what stood out most about Rohit Sharma was the care and attention he gave to his team. From the very beginning, Rohit was clear about how he wanted to lead and what values mattered to him. Dravid explained that such clarity is vital in the relationship between a captain and a coach.
Having been a captain himself, Dravid believes the team should always belong to the skipper, while the coach’s role is to provide support and guidance. He felt that Rohit embraced this responsibility with conviction, making his job much easier.
The former coach also pointed out that Rohit Sharma’s vast experience was invaluable. His vision for the team environment, the kind of atmosphere he wanted to build and the way he wanted things to function were all well thought out.
Rahul Dravid added that while a coach sometimes needs to help a captain shape ideas and bring clarity, in Rohit’s case, that clarity was already present. It gave the dressing room a sense of stability and direction, something Dravid deeply appreciated.
Looking back, Dravid described working alongside Rohit as a rewarding experience. He emphasised that Rohit’s leadership was not only about tactics on the field but also about building a culture where players felt supported and motivated. That, according to him, played a major role in India’s successes during their time together.
Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma’s pair as coach and captain, respectively, was certainly a hit pair, what do you say?
