5 major statements made by Rahul Dravid in recent chat show appearance amid AUS vs IND 2025 T20Is

Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid recently appeared on the YouTube podcast ‘Breakfast with Champions.’ During the conversation, the legendary batter opened up about several topics, from India’s triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup to the heartbreak of losing the 2023 ODI World Cup final.

Dravid served as the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team from November 2021 to June 2024, concluding his tenure after guiding the team to T20 World Cup glory. Following that, he took charge of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2025 season, before stepping down from the role in August this year, ahead of the 2026 campaign.

As the 52-year-old made his appearance on the popular chat show, here is a look at five major statements Rahul Dravid made during his recent conversation, which comes amid the ongoing AUS vs IND 2025 T20I series.

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#1 “Rohit's got to take a large credit for that” - Rahul Dravid credits former skipper for India’s changed approach in T20Is

Former India head coach Rahul Dravid credited ex-captain and veteran batter Rohit Sharma for driving a change in the Men in Blue’s approach to T20Is during their time together at the helm of the national team. The 52-year-old recalled:

“From the time I came in you know a lot of the discussion with Rohit was around that we wanted to play a more aggressive brand of cricket and we tried we started right from the beginning because that we could see that that's the way the game was evolving and Rohit's got to take a large credit for that, right? To move the team in a particular direction, right? Play the game in a lot more aggressive and a lot more positive manner and I'm glad that we've sort of kept going in that direction to the point where I think India's kind of 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 the space of three or four years you're seeing that everyone's looking at India and saying shocks man we've got to match this. I'm not saying that I shouldn't get any credit, but it has to be driven by the leaders, right? It has to be driven by the captain. It has to be driven by the players, because they've got to do it, right? They've got to take the risks. You might be giving them a certain amount of security, but in the end, they are the ones who've got to take those chances, take those risks,” he added.

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#2 “I've built some good relationships” - Rahul Dravid opens up on his bond with players

In the same podcast, Rahul Dravid also reflected on the bond he built with the players during his tenure as head coach of the men’s team. Rahul Dravid said:

“I think more than the wins and the losses, I think I've built some good relationships with a lot of those players. Some of the better conversations I've had with a lot of the players and the team have been more just sitting and maybe just having a chat over a coffee or a tea or a lunch or a dinner. And I think you really get to know people a lot better in that way.”

“Sometimes you're having conversations with people and you realize that my god, I've spent an hour with this guy and we haven't even spoken about his cricket. I think as you're having conversations with these guys, you will also realize how much you're learning as well, right? About the current generation, the challenges they're facing, the difficulties of playing cricket in this generation compared to when you were playing. This gives you a better awareness of things,” he added.

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#3 “There are certain things you've got to sometimes just accept them and move on” - Rahul Dravid reflects on India’s loss in the 2023 ODI World Cup final

The former head coach also reflected on the team’s heartbreaking loss in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. India’s dream campaign came to an end with a six-wicket defeat to Australia, who successfully chased down a target of 241, powered by Travis Head’s match-winning 137. Rahul Dravid noted that Head was beaten several times early in his innings, but luck simply wasn’t on India’s side that day. He said:

“You need those moments of luck a little bit no in life you just need those things you know Travis head was beaten by Shami and Bumrah like a lot that day and he went on to play a phenomenal innings and then you know like six months later he's playing a final of the IPL and first ball I think he edges Vaibhav Arora in a final I think SRH versus KKR. And that's the game, right? You think you're in control of a lot of things, but there are certain things you've got to sometimes just accept them and move on.”

“I mean, I've been through it as a player as well. In 2003, you know, we lost a final to Australia as well. So I know what it's like as a player, and you're absolutely right, as a player, when you're younger, you know, when something is so close, you're so desperate for it. At times, that can hurt a lot, to be honest. A lot of players are also quite mature; I think they kind of learn to move on from things. And I think you spend really meaningful moments with people, with families, with players, and you share disappointments and low points as well,” he added.

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#4 “The weight had somehow come off the shoulders” - Rahul Dravid opens up on India’s triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup

After the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup, India made a remarkable comeback by clinching the 2024 T20 World Cup, defeating South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final in Barbados. Rahul Dravid mentioned that the victory lifted a huge weight off the players’ shoulders, with one of them even expressing confidence that the team would go on to win more championships in the coming years. The 52-year-old said:

“The T20 World Cup, where you get to celebrate with a similar bunch of people, some of them the same guys, and some of their families as well. You get to experience something very, very different. It’s both those moments that make you closer to your players and to people. So winning the T20 World Cup was more special, I mean, of course, I felt really good about it. It was special for the team, for the guys, and for a lot of our support staff who worked really hard along with me to achieve this.”

“But really, it was for the players, because you could see that the weight had shifted off them. And somebody mentioned that to me; in fact, I think it was in Barbados, one of the players said, ‘Rahul bhai, I think after winning this one, we’re going to win a lot more in the next few years.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, it looks like it, it just feels like it.’ You could see that the weight had somehow come off the shoulders of some of these players,” Rahul Dravid added.

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#5 “Challenge is communicating to people when they're not picked” - Rahul Dravid speaks on the difficulties of team selection

The former India cricketer also reflected on the challenges of team selection and the tough decisions that come with it, noting that the real difficulty lies in communicating to players why they have been left out. Rahul Dravid said:

“I think the challenge is communicating to people when they're not picked in teams or why you have to drop certain people or why it's a combination you're playing. Not all of them will agree with you at times. And that's and that's part of the job, right? Because you sometimes don't even have good enough explanations to people as to why they are not picked and you know, because they might be good enough.”

“And it's just that somebody else happens to be equally good enough. And he's doing a great job, and you can't, like, you can't change the team. Given an opportunity, I have no doubt he will also do well. Yeah. But only 11 can play, or only six batsmen can play, or only five batsmen can play. And I think in a country like India, where there's so much talent, right? I don't really envy, you know, selectors or head coaches who have to have these conversations with people, because the reality is, you cannot make everyone happy, and you can't,” he added.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if and when Rahul Dravid will return to coaching, and in what capacity.