Record suggests Rahul Dravid best man to continue as India coach

India coach Rahul Dravid has finally been given an extension by the BCCI, at least till the 2024 T20I World Cup, seeing his excellent track record as the team guide and mentor. Ever since he took over the reins of Team India in November 2021, there have been some great results coming our way.

Prior to bagging India senior team role, Dravid had led the U-19 team to the trophy in 2018, and a second-place finish in 2016. He was associated with coaching jobs with IPL franchises — Delhi and Rajasthan. Not just that, he also headed the NCA, Bengaluru, for a substantial amount of time.

As far as Team India is concerned, Dravid was the head in 10 T20I series, nine ODI and five Test series. Insidesport takes a look at the team’s performance under him.

Overall Record as Team India Coach

Date	Opposition	Result
Nov – Dec 2021	New Zealand	T20I – W (3-0) Test – W (1-0)
Dec – Jan 2022	South Africa	ODI – L (3-0) Test – L (1-2)
Feb 2022	West Indies	T20I – W (3-0) ODI – W (3-0)
Mar 2022	Sri Lanka	T20I – W (3-0) Test – W (2-0)
June 2022	South Africa	T20I – T (2-2)
June 2022	Ireland	T20I – W (2-0)
July 2022	England	T20I – W (2-1) ODI – W (2-1) Test – Lost only Test rescheduled from 2021
July – Aug 2022	West Indies	T20I – W (4-1) ODI – W (3-0)
Aug – Sept 2022	Asia Cup	Failed to qualify for semis
Sept 2022	Australia	T20I – W (2-1)
Sept – Oct 2022	South Africa	T20I – W (2-1) ODI – W (2-1)
Oct – Nov 2022	T20 World Cup	Lost to England in semis
December 2022	Bangladesh	ODI – L (1-2) Test – W (2-0)
Januray 2023	Sri Lanka	T20I – W (2-1) ODI – W (3-0)
Jan – Feb 2023	New Zealand	T20I – W (2-1) ODI – W (3-0)
Feb – Mar 2023	Australia	ODI – L (1-2) Test – W (2-1)
June 2023	Australia	Lost WTC final

There were times when Dravid gave a few India assignments a miss too, for various reasons, but in his absence VVS Laxman took over the responsibility rather well. During the Zimbabwe ODI series last year, India won 3-0, Dravid was given a break. Once again, he was rested for the away series against New Zealand after the T20I World Cup. Kiwis won the ODI series 1-0, while India won the T20I series 1-0.

Dravid as Coach in Major Events

Like his predecessor Ravi Shastri, Dravid too failed to win any ICC event including the World Test Championships, but the performances kept coming. In fact, Dravid could be credited for trying out a lot of youngsters during his tenure. The one thing he certainly did better was to take India to the final of the ICC World Cup 2023, with the team failing to do so in 2015 and 2019. As far as the bilateral series’ are concerned, he lost only three ODI ones, that too by the narrowest of margins, none in T20Is and Tests.

Dravid After Securing India Extension

Despite many reports surfacing signaling his wish to not continue as India coach, Dravid welcomed the decision, and seemed chuffed about it. He said in a statement, “I thank the BCCI and the Office Bearers for placing their trust in me, endorsing my vision, and providing support during this period. The demands of this role necessitate considerable time away from home, and I deeply appreciate my family’s sacrifices and support. Their instrumental role behind the scenes has been invaluable. As we embrace new challenges post the World Cup, we remain committed to the pursuit of excellence.”