Dravid challenges Gambhir’s collective ethos, asserts cricket requires ‘heroes’
In a candid interview with Wisden’s Scoop podcast, Rahul Dravid pushes back against head coach Gautam Gambhir’s emphasis on reducing individual focus, citing the necessity of star players to capture national imagination.
Former India coach Rahul Dravid has publicly diverged from head coach Gautam Gambhir’s prevailing philosophy regarding Indian cricket, arguing that the sport fundamentally requires heroes and that individual excellence is integral to team victories. Speaking to Wisden on the Scoop podcast, as reported by Yahoo Sports, Dravid stated he is not fully aligned with Gambhir’s frequent advocacy for reducing the focus on individuals in favour of collective success.
Dravid contended that superstar status is not manufactured but earned through consistent performance and winning. “Any sport needs its heroes, and I don’t think people become heroes without performances,” Dravid said. He noted that capturing the imagination of the Indian public demands delivering results on the field, a feat achieved by those who navigate intense scrutiny and praise while helping their teams succeed.
The former coach referenced the era in which he played alongside icons such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag, describing it as a period when Indian cricket reached new heights due to the presence of multiple star players. He suggested that individual achievements during that time contributed significantly to the team’s overall stature and success.
Addressing the squad’s recent struggles in Test cricket, Dravid attributed the dip in performance to the retirement of key figures including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin. He acknowledged that replacing such established names is difficult but expressed confidence that the Indian team remains competitive across all formats. He predicted that while it may take time, the squad is likely to turn around its Test series performances within the current season.
Dravid also highlighted the structural challenges facing modern cricketers, particularly the difficulty of balancing a heavy white-ball schedule with the preparation required for red-ball cricket. He observed that current players often lack the dedicated preparation time his generation enjoyed due to the sheer volume of matches, making it harder to find the necessary balance between formats despite a strong desire to excel in Test cricket.
