'You need to help a captain but with him...': Rahul Dravid's candid assessment of Rohit Sharma's captaincy amidst retirement rumours

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'You need to help a captain but with him...': Rahul Dravid's candid assessment of Rohit Sharma's captaincy amidst retirement rumours
Former India's head coach Rahul Dravid (L) and ODI captain Rohit Sharma in frame

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Rahul Dravid was all praise for Rohit Sharma's captaincy acumen

Dravid said that Rohit was always clear about how to run the team since he took up the captaincy role

Former India's head coach Rahul Dravid has shared his insights into working with captain Rohit Sharma, providing a unique perspective on his leadership.

Rahul Dravid on Rohit Sharma's unique leadership style

In a video on R Ashwin's YouTube channel, Dravid spoke highly of Rohit's compassionate approach to the team, a trait he found essential to their successful partnership. Dravid, who was head coach from 2021 to 2024 and led India to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup in June 2024, credited Rohit’s leadership style as a key factor in their success.

"It was really good. Firstly, the thing with Rohit that I always felt was that he deeply cared about the team and he was very clear about it," Dravid told Ashwin.

Not just that, Dravid also revealed how Rohit established his leadership style from the beginning of his tenure as captain. Dravid noted that Rohit’s approach set a clear and effective tone for the entire team, contributing to their success.

"Right from the first day, he was very clear about how he wanted to run the team and what was important to him. And that's really important in any relationship between a captain and a coach, especially the way I coach," Dravid added.

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The 52-year-old has consistently advocated for giving captains the autonomy they need to lead effectively. He believes this approach fosters trust and allows the captain to implement their vision for the team without interference.

"I always like to believe that it should be the captain's team. I've been a player and I've been a captain as well, but a captain has to lead in terms of the direction he wants to go in, and you have to support him and help him in that," he further stated.

Dravid admitted that Rohit's clarity and directness greatly simplified his coaching role. He also mentioned that Rohit’s extensive experience as a player was a key factor in his success as a leader, enabling him to make effective decisions and steer the team with confidence.

"Of course, you sometimes need to help a captain in terms of getting that clarity and understanding what is required. But with Rohit, I thought he was very clear about what he wanted from the team-how he wanted the environment to be, how he wanted the atmosphere to be, how he wanted things to run. He had so much experience over the years, and that really helped. He was very clear on those things," he concluded.

Having already retired from T20Is and Tests Rohit, who fosters a dream to lift ODI World Cup trophy before signing off, will next be seen in action in the ODI series against Australia first and then South Africa in October and November respectively.