'Both in words and action..': Rahul Dravid weighs in on KL Rahul's slump in form in T20 WC

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid spoke to the reporters in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, ahead of India’s crucial Super 12 match against Bangladesh at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. India opener KL Rahul was one of the main highlights of the press conference, as the coach revealed his backing for the 30-year-old. Dravid also admitted that he is well aware of the impact Rahul can have while saying there are no doubts about who will open the batting for India. 

On being asked about how they are assessing Rahul's performance in the tournament, Dravid explained, "I think he is a fantastic player, he has got a proven track record. He has done really well, I thought he has been batting superbly. These things can happen in a 20-20 game, sometimes it's not that easy for a sort of top-order batsman. This tournament has been pretty challenging. I thought he was superb in the practice game against Australia, with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. It was a good pretty good attack and I thought he batted superbly that day to get 60."

“So, he is actually playing really well. I am just hoping it all clicks together over the next 3-4 games. We know his quality and his ability and he is really well suited for these kinds of conditions, and pitches. He has got a good all-round game, he has got a good backfoot game, which is obviously very much required in these conditions. We are pretty confident, we are happy with the way he is hitting it,” he added.

Rahul Dravid sheds light on clarity towards Team India players

On being asked about talking to KL Rahul about his struggles, Dravid answered, “We have a lot of conversations with the players, and it is hard to talk about the exact details of what conversations you have. But rest assured, I think both in words and action, I think over the last year he knows he has support. He has known that. There is a lot of clarity about what our side is going to be, what are squad is gonna be, come to this tournament and we haven’t wavered from that for a very long time."

Team India head coach further explained that people might see a lot of different people playing for India as they have a tight schedule. “There have been a lot of injuries, including him (KL Rahul). He has had phases where he has been injured. It’s a great thing about Rohit is that he has shown them that quality and belief."

A reporter then questioned Dravid about how the team management backs their players when they are struggling to find form. The coach explained that they do not listen to outside noise and have the clarity that ups and downs are part and parcel of the job. He revealed the team is confident in the squad that has been chosen for the T20 World Cup 2022. “It is not difficult for us to back players and support players,” he added.

‘Me & Rohit dont have absolutely no doubt’: Rahul Dravid

In these conditions, maybe we are able to afford him that time and as I said, we completely back him, we have no concerns about him. The coach cited that KL’s knock of 57 runs off 33 balls and said there is no doubt in his and the captain’s mind, about who is going to open the batting for India. “Me & Rohit dont have absolutely no doubt who will open, I know how much impact KL Rahul can make,” Dravid said.