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India ODI captain Rohit Sharma revealed his conversation with former head coach Rahul Dravid after the team's six-wicket defeat against Australia in the final of the ODI World Cup 2023. India, who were unbeaten throughout the tournament, failed to win the title decider against the Pat Cummins-led side at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Dravid, who was India's head coach at that time, didn't want to continue with the role after India's defeat. He was eventually convinced to keep going by the then skipper Rohit Sharma, who wanted the coach to remain with the team at least till the T20 World Cup 2024.
On the anniversary of India's T20 World Cup triumph, Rohit Sharma revealed his conversation with Dravid who was India's head coach at that time.
"Rahul bhai wanted to step down after the 2023 World Cup. But we said, 'There's another World Cup in six months. We've come this far. Let's give it one more shot.' He agreed-and I'm so glad he did. I'm sure even now he feels that he made the right decision.
"For me personally, it was also emotional. My identity as a cricketer began with this format-in the 2007 T20 World Cup. To come full circle and lift the trophy again in 2024-it was just fantastic," Rohit said in a chat on JioHotstar.
Dravid's last assignment as India's head coach was the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa where India defeated the Proteas by seven runs to win the title.
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Rohit also revealed his feelings of finally lifting an ICC title as captain in Barbados. Rohit said it was the proudest moment of his career.
"Barbados will forever be in my veins. This is the proudest moment of my cricketing career. To lift that trophy, to be crowned ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Champions-it was surreal. I played in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup and we won under MS Dhoni's captaincy. And now, to win it again with Rahul Dravid as head coach-it meant everything to this group. We've seen heartbreak. We've come so close. That's why this one was so special. We worked and planned relentlessly-every day. And when we finally won, all the emotions came pouring out. The younger players, especially those playing their first World Cup, realised how hard it is to win one. Nothing can be taken for granted. It was magical."
After India's T20 World Cup win, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from the shortest format of the game, and BCCI appointed Suryakumar Yadav as Rohit's successor to lead India in T20Is. After Rahul Dravid, the BCCI appointed Gautam Gambhir as his successor to coach Team India.
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