On Sunday, in Ahmedabad, Team India’s Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign came to a heartbreaking end. The end of the World Cup could also mark the end of an era. One has to wait and watch on what future holds, at least in this format of the game, for the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Rohit is 36, Virat 35. Do they have it in them to play another World Cup? Will they cotinue to play the format helping other players in the transition period? Only time will tell.
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Rahul Dravid, Team India’s head coach, ended his two-year stay in this role on Sunday. Speaking at the post-match press conference after loss to Australia in the World Cup final, Dravid said that he has not yet thought about his future with Team India as head coach. Dravid said that his focus was entirely on the World Cup campaign. Dravid will soon sit and think about the future soon.
#TeamIndia put up a solid fight but it was not our night in the #CWC23 #Final.
Congratulations to Australia. #MenInBlue | #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/4LhcDVNXVu
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 19, 2023
“I haven’t thought about it. I’ve just come off a game. I had no time to think about this and no time to reflect on this. Yeah, I will when I get the time to do that,” he said at post match media conference.
“At this point of time, I was completely focused on this campaign and there was nothing else on my mind. And I haven’t given any other thought to what happens in the future.”
Dravid said that he is not going to analyse and judge himself as a coach as he has enjoyed the time with the Indian team and says it was a privilege to coach the Men in Blue.
“To be honest, I am not really someone who’s going to judge and analyse myself. I was really proud to work with. I think the players that I worked with over the last two years in all the formats, it’s been a privilege.”
“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it. I think all our campaign, all our energies were focused on this match, focused on this tournament, and focused till here. And I haven’t actually given it any thought or I have no plans, I have had no plans of what’s going to happen in the future,” said the former India captain.
Coming to Virat and Rohit, the duo have stopped playing T20Is after the debacle in the last World Cup. Both of them did not officially announce retirement from the format but it is true that BCCI selectors are now looking beyond them as far as this format is concerned.