"Rahul Dravid never takes credit"- Paras Mhambrey's potential dig at Ravi Shastri sends shockwaves
Published - 24 Jul 2024, 10:45 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:16 AM
Former Team India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has opened up about his experience working with Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma during his tenure with the national cricket team. Paras Mhambrey praised Rahul Dravid for his selflessness, adding that the former Indian skipper never liked to take credit.
Paras Mhambrey worked with Rahul Dravid at the national cricket team from late 2021 to the T20 World Cup 2024. Mhambrey played a role in helping the team secure the title during the T20 World Cup. Notably, he also worked with Dravid at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) before joining the Indian team.
Gautam Gambhir takes over the change of the Indian team as head coach during the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, which is set to begin on July 27. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to finalize the bowling coach. Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate have been appointed as assistant coaches.
Rahul Dravid Is Always Behind The Players - Paras Mhambrey
Paras Mhambrey said that he worked closely with Rahul Dravid across various roles, including India A, U19s, the NCA, and the senior team. Mhambrey stated that Dravid always focused on supporting the players. Mhambrey added that Dravid stayed in the background to allow the players and captain to be in the forefront.
"My association with Rahul is a long one. I worked with him for India A, U19s, NCA and then finally Team India. That's eight-nine years of interaction and understanding what the requirements are, what the vision is. I knew what Rahul wanted. As a coach, Rahul was never in front, he is always behind (the players)," Mhambrey said.
"That speaks a lot about the individual himself. A lot of focus was on the players. It's all about the players, never about him. He never liked to take credit. You always see him in the background. A legend of a game. But to be able to say that, okay, I'm going to take a backseat and allow the captain and the team to be in the forefront, it's phenomenal," he added.
Paras Mhambrey stated that he previously worked with Rohit Sharma for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Mhambrey added that Rohit was involved in the team and attended every meeting. Mhambrey pointed out that Rohit’s wife used to say Dravid was his "work wife."
Rahul Dravid was appointed as head of the India men’s cricket team after the T20 World Cup 2021. He guided the team to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022 the finals of the ODI World Cup 2023 and the World Test Championship (WTC). However, the team failed to secure the title in these ICC tournaments.
The BCCI decided to grant an extension to Dravid until the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA. The 51-year-old concluded his coaching tenure on a high note by winning the trophy. Notably, he did not win an ICC trophy as a player. He decided not to apply for a second term as head coach of the team.
