The Wall Returns: Breaking down Rahul Dravid's impressive record as coach | Cricket - Hindustan Times
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The Wall Returns: Breaking down Rahul Dravid's impressive record as coach

Oct 16, 2021 02:10 PM IST

Rahul Dravid, who hung his boots from international cricket almost a decade ago, has been part of multiple coaching stints and the response has been quite remarkable.

Former India skipper Rahul Dravid will be filling up Ravi Shastri's position as the team's head coach, as the latter's tenure comes to an end following the T20 World Cup.

Former India skipper Rahul Dravid(PTI)
Former India skipper Rahul Dravid(PTI)

While there has been no official word from the BCCI but reports of Dravid taking the helm has created quite a buzz around the fans. As per multiple reports, the former cricketer will take charge for a two-year term.

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"I think we have been able to convince Rahul that he should now move forward to work actively with the Indian national team,” a BCCI official told Hindustan Times confirming the development.

Dravid, who hung his boots from international cricket almost a decade ago, has been part of multiple coaching stints and the response has been quite remarkable. 

First coaching assignment 

Dravid kicked-off his coaching journey with the Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals, a team he has played for before retiring. 

Dravid took charge of the unit in 2014 and went on to guide the Royals for a fifth-position finish, who then missed the playoffs berth by a whisker as Mumbai Indians advanced owing to a better net run-rate.

However, in the following edition, the Royals produced an even more remarkable show, this time finishing third after going down against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the eliminator.

Talent scouting

After ending his association with the Royals, the former middle-order batter took charge as the head coach of the India U-19 and India A teams.

Dravid made immense progress in his maiden stint as U-19 coach as the team stood runners-up in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2016. Not only this but it was the first time talent such as Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, and Washington Sundar were unearthed.

IPL or India 

During his stint as the India U-19 coach, Dravid also looked after the Delhi Daredevils setup for two seasons (2016 and 2017). However, the job didn't pay any dividends with the team finishing sixth.

With conflict of interest notices coming, Dravid in 2017 was forced to make a choice between IPL and country, the ex-cricketer chose the latter and kept grooming the youngsters in U-19 and A team setup.

World Cup glory

Dravid's working with the youngsters then saw India increase their dominance in global cricket as Prithvi Shaw-led Indian unit won the U-19 World Cup in 2018. Shaw, Shubman Gill, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi were the star performers of the tournament.

Behind the scenes

Dravid then took charge as the Director of Cricket Operations at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore in 2019, a platform to groom young cricketers from across the country.

Mock Test

Earlier this year, Dravid was given the responsibility to lead a second-string Indian unit against Sri Lanka, which didn't end as fruitful for the Indian legend as fans would have expected.

The series was hit by COVID-19, which had an impact on the outcome as Sri Lanka won the T20Is, while India triumphed in the 50-over format. 

Hailed as 'The Wall' for his classic defensive approach, Dravid piled over 24,000 runs under his name in international cricket. In IPL, Dravid played 89 matches, in which he went to amass 2174 runs at a strike-rate of 115.5.   

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