Rahul Dravid - the man who keeps India's Under-19 ship running smoothly

Ajit Vijaykumar 19:08 02/02/2018
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • The targets that the Indian team and board had in mind heading into the Under-19 World Cup have been met on the eve of the title clash. Winning the big trophy is the always main target but when we talk about age cricket, it’s the individual performances that stand out and ultimately form the basis of more prominent senior careers.

    India reached the final of the ongoing Under-19 World Cup on the back of five straight victories, capped by a thumping 203-run win over Pakistan in the semi-final. That they saved their best cricket for the semi-final shows India’s U-19 boys have a good head on their shoulders and don’t get overawed by the situation.

    But while captain Prithvi Shaw, batsman Shubman Gill and pacers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi are getting all the attention, there is one name who deserves a major chunk of the credit for keeping the boys on track – Rahul Dravid.

    India reached the final of their previous U-19 World Cup in 2016. In fact they have reached the summit meeting of the tournament five times out of the last seven tournaments. However, the last two tournaments – including the ongoing on – have been particularly intriguing as they have not only given India some highly skilled cricketers but also have been played out in the backdrop of the Indian Premier League player auction.

    As the IPL has grown in influence, so has the impact it has on the minds of players. Uncapped Indian cricketers, especially Under-19 ones, have seen their status rise exponentially. In 2016, it was Rishabh Pant, Sarfraz Khan, Ishan Kishan and Washington Sundar. This year it’s Shaw, Gill and Nagarkoti.

  • India one win away from becoming the greatest U-19 team in World Cup history

  • It’s here that Dravid is in a perfect position to keep the players focused on the task at hand and has done it expertly. In the previous edition, Pant starred in the U-19 World Cup and was snapped up by the Delhi Daredevils during the player auction that was held during the World Cup.

    This year, the situation was similar as India prepared for the quarter-final against Bangladesh with the IPL auction on the next day. But with so much buzz around captain Shaw, top-order batsman Gill and quick Nagarkoti, there was every chance of players getting swept away by the IPL wave. Not when Dravid is in charge.

    THE BIG PICTURE

    After Gill was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for $280,000 last month, the Punjab batsman had this to say: “It feels very good to get a chance, but it’s important to live in the present. Rahul Dravid sir had a meeting with us. He said IPL auction will keep happening every year so we shouldn’t worry about being picked or not and to just focus on the Under-19 World Cup because we won’t have this opportunity again in our lives.”

    Dravid became the India junior and ‘A’ team coach in 2015. In fact, it was a position he actively sought as he wanted to work with players away from the limelight.

    One of the biggest beneficiaries of Dravid’s calming influence is all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has become an all-format all-rounder within a couple of seasons. It was his stint with the ‘A’ team, with Dravid as coach, that made Pandya believe in himself.

    “I can’t thank Rahul Dravid enough for his contribution,” Pandya had said. “I understood that there is a mental aspect about the game that needs to be worked upon. He (Dravid) made me mentally stronger.”

    So if India continue to find international-level young players who are mentally resilient as well, you know who to give a part of the credit to.

    Recommended