3 Reasons Why Rahul Dravid Should Be The Next Indian Head Coach Despite Failing In Sri Lanka

Rahul Dravid was the coach of the Indian contingent that recently faced Sri Lanka on an away tour. India defeated Sri Lanka in the ODI series 2-1 but lost in the T20I series 1-2. In the 3^rd T20I match which was the series-decider, Indian batsmen were totally crushed by the Sri Lanka bowlers. The Sikhar Dhawan-led Indian side was bowled out for just 81, witnessing their lowest T20I total.

Sri Lanka should be given the credit for their spectacular show against India and applauded for their victory in the T20I series. However, the Indian team had to bench their prominent players in the 2^nd and 3^rd T20I games. After Krunal Pandya contacted Covid-19 post the 1^st T20I encounter, he was separated from the squad and quarantined.

8 other players namely Hardik Pandya, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Krishnappa Gowtham, Manish Pandey, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ishan Kishan were also sent into strict isolation for being in close contact with Krunal.

As a result, they could not take part in the last two T20I games. Few of these players were in great form and their absence definitely affected India’s performance against Sri Lanka in the T20I series.

India’s head coach Rahul Dravid should be applauded for the way he handled the team in such a crisis. Although he failed in the T20I series against Sri Lanka, he managed his responsibilities well and utilized every player of the squad to a great extent.

In this article, we talk about 3 reasons why Rahul Dravid should be the next Indian head coach despite failing in Sri Lanka.

3 Reasons Why Rahul Dravid Should Be The Next Indian Head Coach Despite Failing In Sri Lanka

1. Has The Ability To Bring Variation In The Side

Rahul Dravid has a great ability to bring variation in the side. This was totally visible in Sri Lanka vs India ODI and T20I series. In the 3rd ODI match, Dravid changed many players in the squad inducting 5 debutants into the playing XI.

He totally changed the spinners in the team, replacing Rahul Chahar with bowlers like Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzendra Chahal. Still, the team was able to give a strong competition to Sri Lanka in the match.

He also replaced wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan with Sanju Samson in the 3rd ODI and gave equal chances to both the players. In the T20I series, he made a change in the middle-order, introducing Sanju Samson instead of Manish Pandey at the no.3 spot.

Dravid also gave an opportunity to Varun Chakravarthy instead of Kuldeep Yadav or Rahul Chahar in 1st T20I against Sri Lanka. Hence, Rahul Dravid has a great ability to bring variation in the side.

2. Handsome Coaching Experience

If we take a look at Rahul Dravid’s coaching career so far, he has a done a commendable job for Indian cricket. He was the head coach of the India U-19 team and India A team from 2016 to 2019.

Under his guidance, India-U 19 team ended as runners-up in ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2016 and winners in the 2018 edition.

Dravid has been applauded for developing young talents for the national side. Players like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Sanju Samson are some of his findings.

Due to his efficiency as a coach, he has been appointed as the Director of Cricket Operations at National Cricket Academy and monitors the progress of India A and India U-19 teams. Dravid’s experience as a coach has been marvelous so far and he can find great success as India’s next head coach too.

3. Can Establish A Great Balance Between Young And Senior Players

Rahul Dravid is retired from international cricket in 2012. However, he still played a few more seasons in the Indian Premier League. For the national team as well as IPL franchises, he has played alongside many senior players of the current squad like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, among others.

Moreover, he has also mentored many young players of the current Indian squad during his tenure as India A and Under-19 head coach. Hence, he shares a cordial bond with young as well as senior players. If he becomes the next Indian head coach, he will be able to establish a great balance between the young and senior players.