“Haven't thought about it” - Rahul Dravid on future after India’s 2023 World Cup final loss
Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has stated that he hasn’t thought about what the future holds for him after the Men in Blue’s disappointing defeat in the 2023 World Cup final to Australia. The former India captain said his focus was completely on the World Cup, adding he will reflect on future plans when he gets the time.
India went down to Australia by six wickets in the 2023 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, which also marked the completion of Dravid’s two-year contract with the Indian team.
Speaking after the painful loss, the 50-year-old did not give any hints as to whether he has plans to continue coaching.
"I haven't thought about it. I've just come off a game. I had no time to think about this and no time to reflect on this. Yeah, I will when I get the time to do that," he said at post-match press conference.
"At this point of time, I was completely focused on this campaign and there was nothing else on my mind. And I haven't given any other thought to what happens in the future,” he added.
On how he would reflect on his two-year stint with the senior men’s Indian team, Dravid responded that he is not someone who believes in analyzing himself.
"To be honest, I am not really someone who's going to judge and analyse myself. I was really proud to work with. I think the players that I worked with over the last two years in all the formats, it's been a privilege," he stated.
Under Dravid as coach, Team India earlier reached the final of the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) and the semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup, but the ICC crown eluded the side.
“Not really thinking about 2027” - Rahul Dravid
The 2023 World Cup was being seen as a golden opportunity for the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to lay their hands on the mega trophy. It wasn’t meant to be though.
Asked whether the big names of Indian cricket have lost out on a huge opportunity to win a World Cup since they are unlikely to be around in 2027, Dravid replied:
"I'm not really thinking about 2027 and who's going to be there and who's not going to be there. There's a lot of time for that. A lot of water will flow under the bridge before that. There'll be a lot of time for that.”
Indian captain Rohit is 36, while Kohli turned 35 in November. Neither of them is likely to be around when the Men in Blue feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup.