Rahul Dravid a fan of Rohit Sharma's captaincy: He deeply cared for the team

Rahul Dravid reflected on his working relationship with Rohit Sharma, praising the star batter’s ability to connect emotionally with players during his tenure as captain across formats. Dravid said Rohit cared deeply for the team and maintained a light and positive atmosphere in the dressing room, always bringing clarity about his goals for the side.

Speaking to R. Ashwin on his YouTube show, Dravid explained how his philosophy aligned seamlessly with Rohit’s leadership style. The legendary former cricketer said he always believed it should be the captain who ran the team, and Rohit’s clarity of thought gave him the confidence to let the skipper take charge.

Between 2022 and 2024, the coach–captain duo forged a highly successful partnership. India reached the final of the 2023 World Cup, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion to Australia. Dravid later revealed that Rohit persuaded him to stay on after he had considered stepping down following the defeat. The pair went on to lead India to glory in the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados, ending an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy.

"I always felt he deeply cared about the team. Right from the first day, he was very clear about how he wanted to run the team and what was important to him," Dravid said.

"I think it’s really important in a relationship between a captain and coach. I always believed it should be the captain’s team. I have been a player and a captain as well. A captain has to lead the team in terms of the direction he wants to go in. You have to help him in that. And of course, you need to help a captain in terms of helping him get clarity and understanding what’s required.

"With Rohit, I thought he was very clear in what he wanted from the team, how he wanted the environment to be, how he wanted the atmosphere to be. I think his experience helped him set these things. For me, it was just working with him, challenging him at times on certain things, but also working with him to ensure that he was able to be comfortable in that space. Once he was comfortable in that space, I knew he was going to perform and get everyone else to perform.

"Also, one of the things with him is he was very calm, he connected really with the team, and didn’t go up and down too much. At least, he never gave me that impression. He maintained that balance and calmness," he added.

Rohit penned an emotional farewell note to Dravid after the coach’s tenure ended following the T20 World Cup triumph. In his message, Rohit revealed that his wife Ritika had jokingly referred to Dravid as his “work wife”, reflecting the closeness of their partnership and the joy he took from working with the legendary cricketer.

ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW ROHIT AS A PERSON: DRAVID

Recalling the ease of their relationship, Dravid said he treasured the opportunity to share conversations with Rohit both on and off the field.

"More than anything, I really enjoyed getting to know him as a person, chatting with him. We were comfortable to be able to sit and have conversations with each other without having to talk only about cricket. It was easy to sit and meet with him and have dinner. It wasn’t forced. That was nice," Dravid said.

"Having seen him as a young kid, an U19 kid, giving him his first cap and then seeing him grow as a leader was really nice. His whole strength was his ability to emotionally connect with players. You experienced that. I think you (Ashwin) enjoyed being able to talk to him and challenge him and know he wouldn’t get upset," he added.

During Dravid’s tenure, Rohit redefined his approach to limited-overs batting. Backed by his coach, he adopted a more aggressive, high-risk style at the top of the order to put pressure on opposition attacks early. The strategy freed up the rest of the line-up to play without fear of failure, and the results showed—India thrived in both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. The same fearless approach underpinned their Champions Trophy triumph in 2025.

Ashwin endorsed Dravid’s views on Rohit’s leadership: "There were several times in Test matches where I felt I could be bowling, but I didn’t. But I never had to double guess what Rohit was thinking. I knew he had everybody’s welfare in mind, so he was probably thinking. That part of it, Rohit conveyed to all of us without saying. You knew his intent was having everybody in the right frame of mind. That’s why that Ranchi win felt very special. Rohit really rallied the troops."

Rohit has not played competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 season. Having retired from T20Is and Tests, the 38-year-old is preparing for a return in the ODI series in Australia in October. The Champions Trophy-winning captain has set his sights on continuing until the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be staged in Africa.