"This team has reached the final of the last 3 ICC events" - Aakash Chopra on Rahul Dravid's legacy as India coach
Aakash Chopra has lauded Rahul Dravid for India's consistent run in global events during his tenure as head coach. The Men in Blue reached the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup finals last year before winning the recently concluded T20 World Cup.
India defeated South Africa by seven runs in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados on Saturday, June 29. It was Dravid's last stint at the helm, with Gautam Gambhir likely to take over the role.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Dravid had an immensely successful tenure as India's head coach.
"He started with under-19, remained with the India A team, and then came with this team. This team has reached the final of the last three ICC events and you won the Asia Cup. You reached the WTC final, the team remained consistently as No. 1, reached the ODI World Cup final, and won the T20 World Cup final," he observed (11:05).
The former India opener praised his former teammate for the stability he provided.
"Good things happen to good people. Your heart is satiated if such things happen. The team Rahul Dravid created has disintegrated slightly in this format because three retirements have come one after the other but he provided stability and clarity of thought," Chopra added.
Chopra pointed out that Dravid handled the senior players extremely well, highlighting that a coach can become a bit too demanding and bossy at times. He added that the tactical decisions taken by Rohit Sharma and Dravid turned out well.
"His legacy is that he started working with the under-19s" - Aakash Chopra on Rahul Dravid
Aakash Chopra noted that Rahul Dravid's greatest legacy is his work with the India under-19 team.
"Rahul Dravid's legacy is not the last day. His legacy is that he started working with the under-19s. Then he had the option to become an IPL coach. In the IPL, you get more money, have less work, it's more glamorous, and you are appreciated and admired more," he said (10:25).
The renowned commentator pointed out that the former India captain declined more lucrative and easier options, only to work with the juniors.
"Life is a lot easier. You can be with your family for 10 months and spend two months in the IPL. However, he said 'no'. He said he wanted to become the under-19 coach. He is Rahul Dravid, that is his legacy. He doesn't take any shortcuts. He has always chosen the longer route which might not be very exciting and might require a lot of hard work," Chopra explained.
Chopra concluded by thanking Dravid for his contributions. He added that Indian cricket is indebted to the 164-Test veteran for what he did with the bat and then as a coach.