6 Challenges Rahul Dravid may face as Team India head coach

Rahul Dravid was recently named as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team. He is, by far, one of the most loved Indian cricketers of all time. Besides, not many have had achieved as much as him.

Just like his career as a cricketer, his career as a coach has been superb as well. The former Indian batsman was the coach of India A as well as the Indian U-19 team. His returns were marvelous, to say the least.

However, coaching India’s main team is a different ballgame all together. It isn’t as easy as what people perceive it to be. Thus, Rahul Dravid will be facing several challenges during his new stint as the coach.

In the article, we shall be taking a look at 6 challenges Rahul Dravid may face as India head coach

1) Managing split captaincy

This is going to be one of the most tricky jobs for Rahul Dravid during his tenure as team India’s head coach. India have always been skeptical when it comes to split captaincy. Although things were smooth when MS Dhoni and Kohli were captaining the limited-overs and Test teams respectively, things haven’t been the same.

While Kohli’s stint as India’s T20I skipper has ended, the onus will now be on Rohit Sharma to take the team forward. If India do manage to do well in T20Is, there would certainly be calls to make Rohit the captain in all the formats. Although Kohli will continue leading India in Tests and ODIs, it is the coach’s duty to ensure that there isn’t a fallout between him and India’s new T20I captain.

Moreover, if and when a difference of opinion arises between the two, it would be Dravid’s job to clear it. The legend needs to ensure that he builds transparent guidelines as well as a definite team culture. Last but not the least, contingency plans for ego clashes (if any) need to be put into action during its need.

2) Performance of India in knockout matches

India have been one of the best sides of late as they have consistently been able to win games. However, they have failed to replicate their best performances during knockout games.

Since 2014, India have made it to the knockout stages in all the ICC tournaments barring the ICC T20 WC 2021. However, they have faltered in these must win games. As harsh as it might sound, India have stumbled in games which matter the most.

As a coach, Dravid needs to ensure that this issue is addressed. Only when the team starts to work on this shortcoming, they can win the big trophies. Besides, an ICC trophy is what truly makes a team great.

3) Grooming a future captain

This has to be one of the biggest challenges. Grooming a future captain is one of the biggest tasks there can be. One needs to invest in a particular player and expose him to the leadership group.

While Virat Kohli is 33, Rohit Sharma is 34. Neither of them are going to play after five years from now. Thus, this is the ideal time to nurture a new leader before it’s too late.

A few potential captaincy options include the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. Dravid needs to take a look at all these options and pick one player whom he thinks is suitable for the role.

The biggest challenge for him then would be to invest in him and guide him throughout the difficulties in captaining an international team on a permanent basis.

4) Managing the ‘Plenty to choose from’ issue

As mentioned earlier, India have been one of the most consistent sides. Of late, they have won a lot of games at home, as well as away. One of the major reasons for that is the abundance of talent.

The nation has a lot of talented individuals coming out of their shells. While this is a good thing, the issue of ‘Plenty to choose from’ arises. It gets hard to pick a player when his/her competitors have been equally good.

For example, a player, who has been extraordinarily consistent in the domestic circuit, doesn’t make it to the national side because they already have a player who performs a similar role. This hurts the confidence of the individual.

Moreover, this also leads to a role clarity crisis and a player then starts to perform different roles other than his main one. For example, a batter starts bowling part-time off-spin in order to play for India but instead, damages his batting skills in the process.

5) Finger spinner vs Wrist spinner

This has been one of the most debatable topics in Indian cricket for a really long time now. While the off-spinners have been India’s trusted bowlers, the leggies have proved to be the match-winners. Finger spinners were suited for Tests, whereas the wrist spinners were backed in T20Is.

However, with the poor performances of leggies in the shortest format of the game, we saw finger spinners in the ICC T20 WC 2021 in the form of Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Thus, this leads to several confusions and complications.

It is Dravid’s job to make it clear beforehand. Do India need a mix of both? Do they need only finger spinners or do they need only wrist spinners? Utmost care needs to be taken in order to ensure that the formats are mixed while selecting a playing XI.

6) Workload management

Workload management has been a long lasting issue. Even the best of the best have struggled to deal with this challenge. It gets really difficult for players to balance their life with the match schedules.

Seldom do players get breaks in between two series. These individual also need to stay fit in order to do well in the important games such as tournaments or overseas tours. Thus, Dravid needs to give sufficient rest to all his players.

Their workload needs to be managed. The key players, in particular, need to be given enough breaks. This helps them to remain fit and available for the main games. Last but not the least, stress has a direct impact on their mental health and thus, they need to be given regular breaks.