Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid. (Source – Rohit Sharma)
Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India head coach came to an end after the T20 World Cup triumph. As a player, the 51-year-old came close to success multiple times but could never touch the gold. He was part of the India squad that qualified for the 2003 ODI World Cup finals, but Australia demolished them on the night of the final.
As a coach, Dravid saw a lot of heartbreaks. Under his guidance, India lost the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup semi-final against England in 2022 and then in the final of the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup against Australia in 2023. He was very close to stepping down as the head coach of the national team after the ODI World Cup in India but captain Rohit Sharma’s one call changed things.
Over the past couple of years, Rohit and Rahul worked tirelessly for the betterment of Indian cricket and under their leadership, the Men in Blue became the number one side in all three formats of the game. At home, they were head and shoulders above the rest, picking up wins against giants like Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa on a regular basis.
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When it comes to Test cricket, India underwent a transition, but the duo handled things well and picked up a massive series win over England at home. They also qualified for the World Test Championship final, which itself is a major achievement.
The 37-year-old previously mentioned that he didn’t want Rahul to leave the Indian team. However, when he did, the Indian skipper penned down an emotional letter saying how much he idolized Rahul as a youngster and that it was a privilege for him to share the dressing room with the legendary cricketer.
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“Since my childhood days I have looked up to you just like billions of others but I was lucky enough to get to work with you this closely. You are an absolute stalwart of this game but you left all of your accolades and achievements at the door and walked in as our coach and came on a level where we all felt comfortable enough to say just about anything to you. I have learnt so much from you and every memory will be cherished. ” Rohit wrote in a post on Instagram.
He also added how his wife Ritika calls Rahul his work wife and Rohit mentioned the honour of calling him the same.
“My wife refers to you as my work wife, and I’m lucky to get to call you that too. Rahul bhai it has been an absolute privilege to get to call you my confidant, my coach and my friend,” he added.