‘Not going to say anything more’ - Emotional Rohit Sharma reveals how he tried to convince Rahul Dravid to continue as India's coach

Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma got emotional on the eve of the first match of the T20 World Cup against Ireland. The 37-year-old revealed how he tried to convince Rahul Dravid to remain as the coach of the Indian team. It was confirmed that the former Indian skipper will step down from his post at the end of the T20 World Cup 2024. 

Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have struck a nice partnership as the pair has made India a formidable unit. India reached the finals of the World Test Championships and the ODI World Cup 2023. It was reported that Rahul Dravid wanted to step down as the coach after the tournament, but the BCCI extended his contract till the T20 World Cup. 

Speaking to the media ahead of the game against Ireland, an emotional Rohit Sharma said, “I tried convincing him to stay but I think there are a lot of things that he needs to look after. I personally enjoyed my time with him. I’m sure the rest of the guys will say the same. It’s been great working with him and I hope I’m not going to say anything more.”

Rohit Sharma looks back on his association with Rahul Dravid 

After the great work put in by Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri, the Indian team has been taken to the next level by Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid. The duo have been crucial in making India the number 1 side and a formidable unit across all formats. 

Rohit Sharma, when asked how he would look back on his association with Rahul Dravid, replied, “Look, my equation with him goes a long way, a long way back from the time he came to do this job. Actually, he was my first international captain when I made my debut in Ireland.”

The Indian skipper also said, “He’s shown a lot of determination throughout his career. And that is something that when he came here as a coach, you know, I wanted to learn from him. And it’s been very fruitful. Other than the big silverware (the World Cup), I think we won all the major tournaments and series.”

Meanwhile, the eyes of many fans across the world will be looking to the return of Virat Kohli as he will play his first international game for India over 5 months. His form in the IPL saw him become the best batter with over 700 runs while opening the batting. 

The 37-year-old Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, comes into the campaign on the back of a patchy form with the bat. When asked about his approach, Rohit Sharma said to the media, “I’m just going to go and play my game and help the team in whatever way I can and get everyone together to play as a team. That is what I’m going to be focusing on.”