Ex-Pakistani All-Star Says India Should Hire Rahul Dravid As Their Test Coach, Not For Twenty20 Games

Danish Kaneria, a former spinner for Pakistan, is of the opinion that Rahul Dravid should not be coaching the Indian team in Twenty20 Internationals because he does not have the “mindset” necessary to be successful in the shortest format.

The elimination of India from the Twenty20 World Cup 2022 on the 16th and last hurdle has elicited a diverse variety of responses from the cricketing community all across the world.

Several former cricketers from other countries who have since retired have commented on the shortcomings of the Indian squad and attempted to explain why it was eliminated from the competition.

Danish Kaneria, who played for Pakistan in the past, went so far as to argue that Rahul Dravid shouldn’t be the coach of the Indian squad in the shortest format. Kaneria is of the opinion that Dravid does not possess the “mindset” that is necessary to lead the Indian team to become world champions in the Twenty20 format.

Ravi Shastri stepped down as coach of the Indian side after the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup, and Dravid was promoted to fill the vacancy left by Shastri.

Since Dravid took over as head coach of the Indian team from Shastri, he has been working to introduce a fresh approach to the players, particularly the batters. However, the efforts were not successful in yielding the intended fruit in Australia, as the Indian team was eliminated by England in the semi-finals of the competition.

Kaneria cast doubt on Dravid’s qualifications to lead India’s Twenty20 team in a video that was uploaded to Kaneria’s channel on YouTube. Despite the fact that the former Pakistani spinner gives Dravid the respect that he is due for the player that he was, particularly in Tests, he does not believe that Dravid possesses the aggression that is necessary for the Indian team to be successful in the shortest format.

“You should have made use of Rishabh Pant if he was the player you chose. After KL Rahul was dismissed from the game, he should have been moved up the batting order to bat earlier in the game. At the 19th over of the game, he came out to bat. What options does he have then? The way of thinking in India would need to shift.

Rahul Dravid will have to make some adjustments to his mindset. In his career as a cricket player, Rahul Dravid excelled at playing the game’s Test format. It is only appropriate for him to coach India in Test matches, not Twenty20 Internationals “Kaneria stated.

“Because there is no aggressiveness present, there is no indication of his aim. He is incapable of performing under intense strain. He was known as a “calm and cool cricketer” who could bat for an entire day without getting off the crease.

However, this match is a T20 format. You’ll need to be able to bear pressure here. However, you are not able to bear the pressure in T20s “Additionally, he stated.

“Even Rahul Dravid committed several serious blunders in the run-up to the World Cup. The management divided everyone up into different teams, but they didn’t do any kind of preparation. Where was Rahul Tewatia when we needed him? If he had been available, India would have had an all-rounder at their disposal who was capable of performing duties analogous to those of Shadab Khan.

Both as a bowler and a batsman, he has the potential to make a significant impact. You did not make any kind of investment in him. Even though your bowling section was struggling, you did nothing to improve it.

While Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik were both left off of the final roster, X-Factor may have been Umran Malik. In Australia, you will require the use of express pacers. You don’t need bowlers doing 120–130 kilometres per hour there, “he made the claim.

In order to go back on track to compete in the Twenty20 World Cup in 2024, the Indian cricket team needs to hit the “reset” button and get some of its younger players game ready.