Former India head coach Rahul Dravid has lauded Rohit Sharma’s leadership, saying the skipper was always very clear on how to guide the team. Dravid, who served as India’s coach before Gautam Gambhir, worked closely with Rohit, who led the team across all three formats.
Between 2022 and 2024, the Dravid-Sharma duo achieved remarkable success. Under their guidance, India won the Asia Cup 2023, reached the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, and clinched the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Following the T20 World Cup triumph, Rohit Sharma retired from the shortest format, while Dravid stepped down as India’s head coach.
Sharma played a pivotal role in India’s ICC victories, including the much-awaited T20 World Cup 2024 title and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year. Having retired from Test cricket in May, Sharma now focuses solely on ODIs.
“He Always Cared Deeply About the Team”: Rahul Dravid on Rohit Sharma’s Captaincy
“I always felt he deeply cared about the team. Right from the start, he knew exactly how he wanted to lead and what mattered most to him. He was very clear about his expectations from the team, the kind of environment he wanted to foster, and the atmosphere he aimed to create. His experience really helped him establish this,” Dravid said.
He added, “For me, it was about collaborating with him, sometimes challenging him on certain things, but also supporting him so that he could feel comfortable in his role. Once he was at ease, I knew he would not only perform himself but also bring out the best in everyone else.”
Dravid also lauded Rohit’s composure during his tenure as captain.
“One thing about him is that he remained very calm, stayed well-connected with the team, and never seemed to get too high or too low. At least, that’s the impression I got. He maintained a remarkable balance and sense of calm,” he noted.
Indian ODI captain Rohit Sharma is expected to feature next during India’s white-ball tour of Australia in October-November, which includes three ODIs and an equal number of T20Is.
Following Rohit’s retirement, Suryakumar Yadav was named the new T20I captain, while Shubman Gill was appointed as India’s new Test captain.
