Cricket India: Rahul Dravid Vs Ravi Shastri as Coach 

In the past few months, former skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri left their positions, and Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid were appointed as the permanent captain and coach, respectively. This is considered a good transformation in Indian cricket regarding the upcoming T20 World Cup. While many experts hold plenty of opinions on the new coach Rahul Dravid, some also believe Ravi Shastri was a better coach for team India. Let us compare the performances of these two legendary players' coaching careers and the track of Rahul Dravid towards the T20 World Cup.

Ravi Shastri as India coach

Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri took over the position of head coach for the Indian team in July 2017. After being appointed head coach, the team saw various transitions under him. The team also clinched two successive series wins, out of which one came against England! Under Shastri, the team not only dominated the matches in their backyard but also stole the show in away-from-home matches. Shastri's partnership with Kohli became a game-changer for the Indian team, and the two took the team to the next level. The outstanding coach brought a positive mental change in the team's attitude and gave the team a fighting mentality.

Stats telling everything about Shastri's performance

Team India played 43 tests under coach Ravi Shastri, out of which the team won 25 while losing 13. Under his coaching, the team had a win percentage of 58.10. In limited-overs cricket, India has won 51 out of 76 ODI's and 45 out of 65 matches T20Is with a win percentage of 67.1 and 69.20, respectively, under his coaching era. India's performance flourished brilliantly in all three formats under Ravi Shastri. One of the most significant changes that were seen in the team was an improvement in the pace-attack of India, which turned out to be a critical factor in overseas conditions. 

Rahul Dravid: the coach who molded many youngsters

After Shastri's leave, India's former cricketer Rahul Dravid was named the next head coach. Rahul Dravid bid adieu to international cricket in 2012 and further mentored his IPL side Rajasthan Royals. Dravid did well for the team as their mentor; thus, everyone recognized his ability to groom the youngsters. Due to his brilliance, he was made the head coach of India's future generation, the Under 19 team, and India A. As India was now equipped with a powerful coach to their side, it helped the young team form a good base.

Consequently, with the team's all-around efforts and Dravid's outstanding coaching abilities, the team ended up as runner-up in the U-19 World Cup. The same team produced stars like Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan and Washington Sundar. Rahul Dravid's career as coach of the young team kept flourishing, and in 2018, the Prithvi Shaw-led U-19 team lifted the Under-19 World Cup with Rahul Dravid as a coach. Thus Dravid received huge praises from everyone, and his performance as a coach was highlighted!

One coach, and six captains in eight months

However, since he was appointed the head coach of the Indian Cricket team, things haven't been relatively easy for him. During his coaching career of 8 months, Dravid had to work with six different captains, which was indeed not an easy task for the new coach. This unusual situation was a challenging period for Dravid; however, this is where his experience helped him. Dravid took the transitions quite smoothly and didn't take much effort to adjust to new captains. Even after changing multiple captains, the team has maintained its level, and the credit goes to the tough coach of the team.

T20 World Cup 2022: A big stage for Dravid

The upcoming T20 World Cup will be a massive opportunity for Rahul Dravid to turn out as one of the best team India coaches and justify his reputation. Rohit Sharma will assist Dravid, and the two will be responsible for sailing their team towards the championship. Although this journey will not be that easy for him, as it is said that the testing times recognize a true hero, we can surely hope for Dravid to be team India's hero in the World Cup.