'We Convinced Him, He Will...' Sourav Ganguly Backs Rahul Dravid To Get Success For India
Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma (x.com)
Former captain Sourav Ganguly has given his first reaction to Rahul Dravid’s contract extension as head coach of the Indian cricket team. Dravid, whose first tenure concluded following India’s World Cup 2023 run in November, had his contract extended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at least until the team’s next big ticket ICC tournament, the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies.
Ganguly, who was BCCI President at the time when his former teammate was appointed as India’s head coach, recently said that he is not surprised by the latter’s continuation at the high-profile job.
Ganguly wishes Dravid luck for T20 World Cup
Rahul Dravid was appointed as India’s head coach in late 2021, at a time when his ex-teammate Sourav Ganguly was BCCI President. During Dravid’s tenure, the Indian team registered an emphatic ODI series win in England and lifted the 2023 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka earlier this year.
The ‘Men in Blue’ also flogged each of their 10 opponents at the 2023 World Cup until the night of the finals, where they lost to an insurgent Australian unit to concede the top crown. While several fans assumed the team’s defeat at the title clash to be Dravid’s final match as head coach, the BCCI decided to extend his contract, citing his overall track record with the Indian team.
Ganguly, while speaking with the reporters in Kolkata, recently stated that he is not surprised by Rahul Dravid’s contract extension and wished him the very best for next year’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies. He said:
“I'm not surprised that they have shown faith in Dravid. When I was president of the Board, we convinced him to do this job. I wish him luck for another World Cup in June. He was very close this time. They may not have won it, but they probably were the best team in the competition with the way they played. So, he's got another seven months for a World Cup in the West Indies. Hopefully, at that time, he will not be runners-up, but a champion.”
Rahul Dravid is currently spending his time away from the game amidst India’s ongoing five-match home T20I series against Australia. The former cricketer will soon be reuniting with his Indian troops for the team’s forthcoming all-format tour of South Africa.
The Indian team is scheduled to engage in three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Test matches against the Proteas in December and January.
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