NEWS
Follow UsNovember 19, 2023, was one of the toughest days in Indian cricketing history.
Despite racing through to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, the unbeaten Men in Blue succumbed to the mighty Australian side in Ahmedabad. India were thoroughly outbeaten across different departments on that night, which led to doubt over the players' and coaching staff’s continuity in the Indian blue.
One of them was India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, who nearly quit his job after the disaster unfolded in front of them. However, later, Dravid extended his stay until the T20 World Cup 2024, where India were crowned the deserving champions, beating South Africa by seven runs.
What led to Dravid staying, and what about that moment when he lifted the World Cup? Suryakumar Yadav spills it all, revealing it was a phone call from Rohit Sharma and Jay Shah, which convinced him to stay.
“That 30-second clip, when he took the trophy in his hand and screamed… that moment when he expressed his happiness. I think I will save that clip for life,”
“In the end, he came and thanked Rohit and said, “Thank you, Rohit, for that phone call in November”, because he didn’t want to continue after (India’s loss in) the 50-over World Cup but Rohit and Jay sir (BCCI secretary Jay Shah) convinced him to stay,” Suryakumar told The Indian Express in an interview.
Despite having limited T20I experience (1), Dravid has been a stellar head coach for the national team in the shortest format, where they have only been beaten twice across two World Cups. Suryakumar revealed the conversation that Dravid had with the players in the dressing room before the start of the global event in the United States of America and the Caribbean.
“Wall kabhi chhupta nahi hai (wall doesn’t hide) (laughs) and Indranagar ke wall ko koi kabhi chhupa nahi sakta hai. He has created a wall which protects us from the expectations of people, pressure, and to provide comfort to the players,” Suryakumar revealed.
“Virat bhai also said the same thing the other day about “the way you have played and seen cricket in your time and to come out and give the freedom to players in this format …’ If a batsman felt that this is right, he will say ‘ok, if you feel it’s right, you make that decision’. He never imposed his experience on anyone. He understood others and thought about what others were thinking. These are small things that we forget after winning a tournament. His contribution was massive. His sense of humour is awesome.”
“Before the tournament, he [Dravid] showed a graph of the number of T20 games the entire Indian team had played — from Virat bhai to Yashasvi Jaiswal (the most junior member). That number was 800-plus,” said Surya. And then he showed a second slide that had the number of games that the entire coaching staff, including Rahul bhai, had played — that number was 1. He said to us, ‘You are the best judge here to make the right call at the right time. So leave every other thing to us, go out there and enjoy your game’.”
For the first time since 2014, India had reached the final of a T20 World Cup. But it wasn’t a one-man team this time around, with several contributions helping them get there. Rohit Sharma played a major role in India’s rise with his swashbuckling batting against the new ball in the tournament.
Rohit broke all barriers and employed an uber-aggressive brand of cricket that saw him have the best campaigns of his T20 World Cup career. The right-handed opener smacked 257 runs at a strike rate of 156.70 and smashed a 92 against a determined Australian side in the Super 8s. His captaincy, too, had a sense of calmness attached to it. Suryakumar revealed what Rohit had told the team in the huddle before the final.
“Before the final, he [Rohit] told us to keep it simple but said, ‘I can’t climb this mountain alone. If I have to reach the peak, I will need everyone’s oxygen’,” Suryakumar recollected.
“He also said, ‘Joh bhi hai, paon mein, dimag mein, dil mein (Whatever you have in your legs, mind and heart), just bring everything to the game. If that happens, we will not regret the night’. We all were moved.”
“I have played so much cricket, be it in IPL or international cricket in the past four-five years. He connects with the players. Off the field, be it in a hotel room, or on the beach, he connects with everyone. So when a crunch situation comes, players know that he (Rohit) will back us. One feels I have to deliver for this man for the confidence and respect he gives to everyone.”
Suryakumar also talked about Virat Kohli, who, despite having one of his worst campaigns, turned his form around with a 59-ball 76 in the final to help India break their 11-year ICC drought.
“He [Virat Kohli] is a powerhouse of energy on the ground, irrespective of his performance. If you see, till the final, things didn’t go as he wanted to but the way he carried himself on the field… He was taking part in team get-togethers, practice sessions, everything. He was a leader in his own way,” he said.
“In 2022, when I made my debut, I did most of the batting with him during the bilateral series and then the World Cup. I realised then that if I have to bat with Virat Kohli, I have to match his fitness because he takes two quick runs by pushing a ball in the gaps and then he slams a four. I had told the strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai to keep my training time along with his. Because sometimes there are days when I don’t feel like training or my body is tiring or mentally I’m not ready. So by watching him those 40 minutes will pass by in the gym.”
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