'I tried convincing him but..': Rohit Sharma reveals he was TOLD NO by Rahul Dravid at T20 World Cup

In a heartfelt disclosure, Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma revealed his efforts to convince Rahul Dravid to remain with the team. Rohit expressed deep admiration for Dravid, emphasizing the legendary cricketer's impact on him and the team.

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"I tried convincing him to stay, but obviously there are a lot of things that he needs to look after as well. But yeah, I personally enjoyed my time with him," Rohit Sharma said with a bit of emotion in his voice.

 "I'm sure the rest of the guys will say the same. It's been great working with him. And I'm not going to say anything actually. I'm not going to say anything," he added.

Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid share a long history, with Dravid captaining Rohit during his debut in June 2007. 

"He was my first international captain when I made my debut in Ireland. Then I've seen him play while I was just coming into the team for Test matches when he was captain. And such a big role model for all of us," Rohit reminisced ahead of India's World Cup opener against Ireland on Wednesday.

"Growing up, we watched him play and we know what he has achieved, personally as a player and also what he's done for the team over the years. Battling out the team from difficult situations and that is what he's known for," he said, honoring the legacy of 'The Wall'.

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India have not been able to win a trophy in the Rohit-Dravid era yet but the head coach's contribution has been immense, said the skipper.

"He's shown a lot of great determination throughout his career and that is something that when he came here as a coach, I wanted to learn from him.

"It's been very fruitful. Other than the big silver (trophy), we won all the major tournaments and series. I've enjoyed every bit of it, working with him, deciding what direction the team needs to head.

"And for him to buy into that thought, obviously makes a huge difference. And he was the first one who came and said, 'this is what we need to do as a team'. No matter what happens, but at least we'll give it a good shot at it when he arrived," added Rohit.

Dravid had taken charge of the team in November 2021. 

(With PTI inputs)