'Rahul Dravid Doesn’t Like Any Communication Gap With Any Player or Support Staff': Rohit Sharma

Team India captain Rohit Sharma spoke about his partnership with head coach Rahul Dravid and how he and Virat Kohli discuss one other's batting.

When Rahul Dravid became India's head coach following the 2021 T20 World Cup, Rohit took over as captain from Kohli. He was previously designated white-ball captain, but after Kohli opted to step down as Test captain after the South Africa tour in 2022, the selectors agreed to give Rohit the red-ball leadership as well.

During his tenure, India has reached the semifinals of the 2022 T20 World Cup and the final of the World Test Championship this year.

When asked about his cooperation with Dravid, Rohit praised his mentor and stated that he respects him as a person first and then as a cricketer.

"I have enormous respect for him (Rahul Dravid) as a person first and foremost, and then obviously as a cricketer." It's because you have to be a nice person first before you can be a cricketer, footballer, doctor, and so on," Rohit explained on cricket journalist Vimal Kumar's YouTube channel.

Rohit, who made his international debut under Dravid's captaincy, disclosed his first coaching guideline.

"I made my debut for him, but I didn't last long." He dislikes any communication breakdowns with players or support staff. "Communication is his first rule," he stated.

"We have an open relationship where we keep discussing things about the players or tactics," he said.

The swashbuckling opener went on to share what he and Kohli normally talk about both on and off the pitch, saying they talk about opposing players when they meet series to series.

"During the batting, it's all about the bowler and the conditions." When we meet from series to series, we talk about the opposing players. "What to do and what not to do," he continued.

The Asia Cup and ODI World Cup 2023 will be incredibly important for Rohit as a captain during the next three months (including September). India has advanced to the Super 4 phase of the continental event, and winning the trophy would be critical in boosting their morale ahead of the World Cup, which will be held in India.

It has been a decade since India last won an ICC trophy, when they won the Champions Trophy in England in 2013.