Rahul Dravid, Team India’s head coach, holds a strong belief in his team’s triumph in the upcoming ODI World Cup. It’s noteworthy that India will commence their journey on October 8 against Australia, followed by a match against Afghanistan on October 11. The much-anticipated clash with arch-rivals Pakistan is set for October 15 in Ahmedabad.
Throughout the league stage, they will engage in a total of nine matches, aiming to secure a top-four finish for a spot in the semi-finals. Dravid, in the meantime, envisions a highly competitive race to the semi-finals, predicting a closely contested tournament. He points out that players from other teams are familiar with Indian conditions due to the Indian Premier League, which makes him anticipate a challenging battle.
Nonetheless, the former cricketer remains unwavering in his confidence regarding India’s prospects in the competition. In the upcoming ODI World Cup, India’s first game will be against Australia.
“There are some really good teams in this tournament, but I think the whole thing of home advantage, especially in the sub-continent, has reduced to a large extent over the last 10–12 years. Because, you know, people come and play here so much, especially in tournaments like the IPL, where people come for two months and have been getting used to these conditions,” Dravid was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“So it’s going to be a really close tournament, it’s going to be a tight tournament. We feel confident, we are really excited. As a coach, I’m really looking forward to it as well,” he added.
As a coach, I don’t focus on legacies: Rahul Dravid
Although regarded as a cricket legend, Rahul Dravid has never secured a World Cup title. If he clinches victory this time, he will join the esteemed group. He stressed that he isn’t aiming to create a coaching legacy. He expressed that the upcoming tournament will be thrilling, and both players and fans should relish the experience.
“Oh, I’m not into legacies as a coach or anything like that. It’s exciting to play a World Cup at home. I must say that it’s going to be really exciting for everyone. There’s going (to) be a certain amount of pressure associated with it, which is most welcome. We hope we can have a really good tournament. I think we are preparing really well. It is all hopefully coming together nicely with some of the guys coming back from injury just at the right time,” Rahul Dravid shared.
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