Rahul Dravid Gives Huge Credit To Former Captain Rohit Sharma For India's Revolution In T20I Format: 'We Started Right From...'

Rahul Dravid, India's former head coach credited Rohit Sharma for playing a major role in revolutionalising team's T20 cricket. Rohit remains just an ODI cricketer, having retired from the T20I and Test formats and was recently seen in the three-match series against Australia. 

Rohit led India to the title win in the T20 World Cup 2024, after which the Men in Blue have become an unstoppable force in the shortest format of the game. Late into his career, Rohit overhauled his batting approach, switching to ultra-aggressiveness to give India early momentum. The intent of leading from the front paid off India went on to put an end to a long and frustrating wait for an ICC trophy.

Dravid, who was the head coach during Rohit's time as skipper, said he held discussions with the veteran star on the way forward and the result was the positive intent that has become synonymous with India’s batting in the shortest format.

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"I can’t speak for what happened before me and it’s not for me to say that but certainly from the time I came in a lot of the discussion with Rohit was around that we wanted to play a more aggressive brand of cricket," Dravid said on Breakfast with Champions.

"We (Rohit and I) started right from the beginning, because we could see that that’s the way the game was evolving. And Rohit’s got to take a large credit for that, to move the team in a particular direction. Play the game in a lot more aggressive and a lot more positive manner," he added.

Dravid feels India have set the T20I batting template and the world is now playing the catch-up.

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"I’m glad that we sort of kept going in that direction to the point where I think India’s kind of literally, absolutely, I think changing what T20 cricket is like. I think Indian batting in T20 cricket at the moment is off the charts. I mean, it’s close to 300. And everyone else in the world is now having to catch up. I think in a space of three or four years you’re seeing that everyone’s looking at India and saying, ‘Shucks man, we’ve got to match this.’ I mean, I wouldn’t say like (match) me. I would say (matching) these players," Dravid said.

After Rohit's retirement, Suryakumar Yadav has done a great job as the T20I skipper, with India continuing to achieve immense success. The Men in Blue recently lifted the Asia Cup 2025 title, which was played in the T20 format as they remained undefeated throughout the tournament.

Dravid eventually took some credit for India's positive approach before adding that it’s the players who ultimately are responsible for the impactful execution.

"They are the players who do that. I mean, I’m not saying that I shouldn’t get any credit, but it has to be driven by the leaders. It has to be driven by the captain. It has to be driven by the players, because they’ve got to do it. They’ve got to take risks. You might be giving them a certain amount of security, but in the end, they’re the ones who’ve got to take those chances, take those risks," he said.