‘He never liked to take credit’ – Paras Mhambrey reveals Rahul Dravid’s selfless nature

Rahul Dravid. (Source – Getty Images)

As the Indian cricket team starts its new journey under the guidance of Gautam Gambhir, time has called to reflect on the remarkable tenure of Rahul Dravid as head coach. Known for his humility and dedication, Dravid’s approach to coaching has left a great mark on Indian cricket, ending in a T20 World Cup triumph before his departure.

Dravid’s contract as head coach expired last month, bringing an end to a successful period for Indian cricket. Along with Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey also concluded their tenures, while fielding coach T Dilip was retained by the BCCI. The team has since moved forward, securing a 4-1 victory against Zimbabwe in their first post-Dravid assignment.

Mhambrey, who worked closely with Dravid for nearly a decade across various Indian cricket setups, offered insight into the former’s coaching philosophy. 

“My association with Rahul is a long one. I worked with him for India A, U19s, NCA, and then finally Team India. That’s eight-nine years of interaction and understanding of what the requirements are, and what the vision is. I knew what Rahul wanted,” Mhambrey told Hindustan Times in an interview.

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As a coach, Rahul was never in front, he is always behind: Paras Mhambrey 

Mhambrey also emphasized Dravid’s selfless nature always focused on the players and never took credit, and made sure that the team came first and not him.

“As a coach, Rahul was never in front, he is always behind (the players). That speaks a lot about the individual himself. A lot of focus was on the players. It’s all about the players, never about him. He never liked to take credit. You always see him in the background. A legend of a game. But to be able to say that, okay, I’m going to take a backseat and allow the captain and the team to be in the forefront, it’s phenomenal,” he added.

The synergy between Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma was another key aspect of India’s success. Mhambrey highlighted the importance of their alignment, noting Rohit’s active involvement in team meetings and discussions. This collaborative approach extended beyond formal settings, with casual conversations during meals helping to build trust and strengthen bonds within the team.

“With Rohit… I’ve been part of the MI team. I’ve interacted a lot. It’s very important to have your captain on the same page. He was really involved in this team. He attended each and every meeting. There was a lot of discussion in the general team meetings and during those discussions during breakfast. Rahul and Vicky used to step out for dinner,” he further added.

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The former bowling coach went on to say that the casual dinners and meetings would help them create a good bond which in the end helped the team.

“Rohit would join in to have a casual conversation. This just creates trust and a bond with everyone. That transpired on the ground. The relationship that they have it’s not only off the field, it’s on the field as well. Very nice of Rohit to say that (referring to Dravid as his work wife). That you know the impact Rahul has had on him,” he concluded.