"Can't put it past India" - Graeme Swann on Team India winning the ICC treble under Rahul Dravid
Former India captain Rahul Dravid is set to step in as the men's team head coach after the 2021 T20 World Cup, taking over the reins from Ravi Shastri. He is contracted to coach the team till 2023 and his reign will see India play the 2022 T20 World Cup, the 2023 World Cup and the 2021-23 World Test Championship season.
India will be aiming to win the treble of ICC tournaments under Dravid, having reached the semi-final of the last ODI World Cup and the final of the inaugural edition of the WTC.
Former England spinner Graeme Swann, speaking to cricket.com, opined that India have the ability and depth of talent available to pull off the stunning achievement. Swann said:
"You can’t put something like that past India because of the talent you have got in your country. It’s gone from strength to strength since the IPL really got big. All the guys coming through who normally wouldn’t get to play against international standard players until they are playing for India get that jump ahead of the rest of the world when they play the IPL. So India have got the strength and depth, and who’s to say they couldn’t do that."
Swann also envisaged a new era under Dravid. He said that Shastri and India captain Virat Kohli are fiery and passionate individuals while Dravid will be a calmer head at the helm of things. Swann added:
"I think he’s going to be very level-headed and he’s going to get ease and calm flowing through the team. I think it’s going to be a new era. Because with Virat and Ravi Shastri, they are both very fiery, passionate guys. Rahul is a lot more collected, a lot calmer."
Rahul Dravid to begin reign with series against New Zealand
India will play their final match in the 2021 T20 World Cup on Monday, taking on Namibia in the Super 12 stage as they failed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
Dravid will take charge of the team beginning with the three-match T20 International (T20I) series against New Zealand at home, which will be followed by a two-match Test series against the Kiwis.
A tour of South Africa will follow, with India taking on the Proteas in three Tests and as many ODIs and four T20Is. These games will be followed by home series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.