Exclusive: Rahul Dravid Interview – RR Coach on Team Philosophy, IPL Auctions, Indian Cricket & More

From traditional red-ball cricket to the immense popularity of T20s, Rahul Dravid has witnessed the evolution of the game from close quarters. The former India captain and erstwhile national team coach is now back with Rajasthan Royals as its head coach in the Indian Premier League after a decade.

He believes that, going forward, it is important to ensure that league cricket ‘coexists’ with international cricket.

In an exclusive interview with  Sportstar, Dravid spoke about his return to the Royals as head coach, the rise of young cricketers, and why he was not particularly in favour of the Impact Player rule during his stint with the Indian team.

You returned to the IPL as a coach after a decade. How has the experience been? What are the changes that you see?

Yeah, it’s good to be back at RR after so many years. When you look at the league over the last decade, you can see how much it has grown. It was always a big event, but its popularity has soared even further. When you travel to different cities, the scale and impact of the league are even more evident.

The IPL has become significantly bigger and, in many ways, more professional. The level of preparation and planning has increased considerably compared to earlier years.

Teams are now investing heavily in extended support staff and working with players not just during the IPL but throughout the year. There’s a continuous engagement with players, which wasn’t as common in the past.

The overall standard of the league keeps improving. The growth of Indian talent over the last decade has played a major role in this. You can see its impact in our white-ball performances at the international level. Since the strength of the IPL is largely driven by local players, their improvement has directly contributed to raising the league’s quality.

This year’s auction saw the Royals part ways with some notable players and focus on acquiring young Indian players. What was the idea behind it?

Over the last three years, RR built a really strong team and enjoyed a successful period. Letting go of some key players was tough, but that’s the nature of the league.

The rules allow teams to retain only six players, which naturally leads to difficult decisions. In an ideal scenario, many teams, including RR, would have liked to retain more. The auction reflected the value of the released players, and given budget constraints, it was never realistic to bring back the same squad.

That’s the reality of this league — every three years, a reset happens. It was disappointing to part ways with some players, but we made a commitment to the franchise, the players, and the fans by retaining the maximum number allowed.

Most of the players we retained have been with the franchise for years and have grown within this setup. In Sanju (Samson)’s case, it has been much longer. This felt like the right time to trust these players with the responsibility of leading the franchise forward.

Although they are young in age, they have already gained significant experience within our system. Retaining them allows us to plan for the next two cycles, depending on future rules. It’s rewarding to see players who developed under our care staying on.

That’s what any franchise aims for. This auction gave us the opportunity to prioritise continuity. Of course, it came at the cost of releasing some senior and experienced players, which was difficult. But these are the rules, and every team has to make similar choices.

Fans may feel disappointed, but the system ensures fairness. It also provides players and teams with a fresh start, which is an integral part of the league’s evolution.

After 17 years, do you think that an auction comes at the expense of a core?

I understand the sentiments behind this because we’ve been through the frustration of the auction cycle — having to let players go and then rebuilding. We always try to retain our core and build around it.

But the auction system is what keeps the league highly competitive. The ability to rebuild every three or four years ensures that no team dominates indefinitely. Any team can beat any other, and that’s what makes the IPL so exciting.

The salary cap and equal purse for all teams further enhance this competitiveness. While there are valid arguments on both sides about the effectiveness of an auction, there’s no clear-cut answer.

As a coach, you want to keep your core intact for as long as possible. The debate over whether the cycle should last three years or five years is always open.

The league now permits teams to retain six players, the highest ever. But a large auction every three years ensures that teams can reassess their squads and remain competitive. It’s also beneficial for players.

Many players spend three years at a franchise without getting enough chances. A new team might offer them better opportunities, which is crucial for their careers. If a player gets stuck in a franchise for six to nine years without regular game time, it could harm their development.

For young Indian players especially, re-entering the auction provides a fresh start. Even a three- or four-year stint at a single franchise can sometimes limit a player’s growth if they would have fit better into another team’s balance or strategy.

There are arguments on both sides, and finding a perfect solution is difficult. But the results speak for themselves — the league remains competitive, different teams win, and the playoffs aren’t dominated by just one or two sides. That balance keeps fans engaged and ensures the tournament’s continued success.

RR has always focused on nurturing young talent like Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and now Vaibhav Suryavanshi. How do you develop youngsters in a high-pressure, results-driven IPL environment?

A large part of that is just the philosophy of the franchise. Since the early years, we have always tried to identify and develop — not necessarily just young talent — but those who are probably not as recognised.

I wouldn’t call Pravin Tambe young, right? He was someone who got into the franchise. ‘Young’ is, of course, just one operative word, but it’s about identifying talent that has probably not been seen by many.

We put a lot of time and effort into doing that. And I think a large part of the franchise’s mission is not only to develop talent on the cricket field but also beyond it.

Even when you look at our marketing, sales, media, and digital teams, many of them are filled with young talent that has gone on to make a difference. You often bump into people outside cricketing circles who started here and are now part of other leagues or teams, having progressed in their careers.

Manoj (Badale) has always been clear about this. A key part of Rajasthan Royals’ ethos is to grow cricketers, but also to grow people — not just within cricket but across the organisation. It’s deeply embedded in our DNA.

That’s something we’d like to believe differentiates us from some other franchises. Of course, other teams are also trying to do the same, which is great for the league. But it remains an important part of the Royals’ philosophy, reflected in the players we choose to retain.

You have been associated with the national setup for a long time, first with NCA and then the national team? How does your role at a franchise vary from those?

Some aspects of a franchise team are slightly different, which is natural. In a franchise, your connection with the players is much shorter — just about two months.

Of course, we do hold camps and maintain some level of contact throughout the year. But there are also additional responsibilities beyond cricket. As a head coach, you interact more with ownership and work closely with the sports science team.

That said, coaching teams, at their core, function similarly. It’s always about working with people — the players and support staff.

The main difference is in the structure and timeframe. With the national team or at the NCA, you have more time to develop players and build long-term connections. The focus isn’t on just one tournament.

In the IPL, however, your primary goal is to get the best out of your squad in a short, intense period and put the team in the best position to win the league.

You’ve nurtured talents like Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the U-19 and NCA level. How different was it managing them as a coach in the senior team or in an IPL set up, as compared to their junior days?

It’s terrific to see these youngsters grow into full-fledged professionals and even senior players within their teams.

That growth is exactly what you look for as a coach of a junior or Under-19 team. You want to see how the players you’ve worked with evolve — not just in their game but also as individuals.

Naturally, the conversations you have with them now are very different from when they were 16 or 17. As a coach, you must adapt to their growth.

At the U-19 level, you often take on a more instructional role, guiding them closely. But at this stage, they are experienced professionals. Your role shifts from instructing to supporting. As a coach, you experience both sides of this journey.

In some ways, it’s like raising children. When they’re young, your conversations with them are different, but as they mature, those interactions evolve. It’s no different with players.

You have to adapt to who you are coaching and focus on the goal you’re trying to achieve.

You compared nurturing young cricketers to raising children. As a parent to two young cricketers, has that experience helped you understand the psyche of budding players better?

Working with junior cricket at the NCA and the Under-19 level has definitely helped me connect better with young players.

Every cricketer is different. At one time, there was Riyan Parag, Sanju, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and now we have youngsters like Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The players keep changing, but my experience at the NCA and with U-19 cricket has been invaluable.

I’ve really enjoyed that side of coaching — it has taught me a lot as well.

You’ve seen Sanju grow from his early days. What are your thoughts on his leadership at RR?

Sanju has grown significantly as both a cricketer and a captain. Captaincy is a skill where the more you do it, the better you become. It’s about gaining experience and learning from different situations.

What stands out about Sanju is his curiosity and willingness to learn. He is always asking questions, eager to improve, and has really embraced his leadership role. There is great clarity in how he communicates with the group. He knows exactly what he wants from the team and what he aims to achieve.

I’ve told him that our job as coaches is to support his vision. That’s how I see coaching — it’s about helping the captain and his team create an environment where they can play the brand of cricket they want to. While the captain drives the vision, we are there to support, guide, and facilitate it.

Sanju leads by example and has a strong connection with the younger players. He has seen many of them grow within the franchise and played a role in their development. That mutual respect and trust between him and the squad is evident.

There’s a great synergy within the team, which Sanju has fostered well. His experience and performances over the years have earned him respect, not just from the younger players but also from the overseas professionals. Beyond that, he genuinely cares about his teammates, and that balance of respect, care, and leadership makes him an effective captain.

What are your thoughts on the Impact Player rule in the IPL? How much has it changed the nature of the tournament?

It has certainly added a different dynamic. I’ll be honest: when I was India’s coach, I wasn’t particularly fond of the Impact Player rule.

Not because it doesn’t make the game more competitive — it certainly does. It adds complexity and keeps matches alive till the very end. But from a national team perspective, it posed some challenges. As a coach, you want to develop all-rounders, and under the old 11 vs 11 format, certain players would have had more opportunities to bat or bowl in different situations.

The Impact Player rule has changed that to some extent. That said, I understand why it exists. It ensures every game remains competitive and allows an extra Indian player to feature in the league, which is a positive. Like with the auction and other rules, there are always pros and cons.

One major impact has been on scoring rates, which have statistically increased due to teams having an extra specialist batter. This means no team is ever truly out of a game. You can have a batter at No.8 or even No.9, which allows for aggressive hitting even after losing six or seven wickets. That has changed the way teams approach the back end of an innings.

Strategically, it has added layers to team selection and match planning. The role of all-rounders has also been affected. While having an all-rounder still brings balance, teams can now manage without one if they don’t find the right fit.

It’s been nearly a year since you stepped down as India’s coach on a high, winning the T20 World Cup. Was there a particular moment during the tournament when you felt, “This team is ready to go all the way”?

There wasn’t a single moment, but over the last two and a half years, I could clearly see our growth as a white-ball team. We were developing into a real force, and that was reflected not just in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup, but also in bilateral series and other matches.

Our win-loss percentage over that period was very high, despite rotating a lot of players. The depth in our squad kept improving, and I always felt we would be competitive in any white-ball tournament.

At this point, India is consistently one of the three or four teams that start as favourites in global tournaments. That strength has been building for a while. Even during my time as the India A coach, I saw how much we were progressing in white-ball cricket.

But in these tournaments, you also realise that no matter how strong you are, it often comes down to one or two crucial games. On any given day, a top side can beat you — just like Australia did in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. They played better cricket and deserved to win.

Going into the T20 World Cup, I knew we were one of the favourites. But I also knew that in knockout games, you’re up against teams who are capable of beating you. You prepare as best as you can, but you also need to acknowledge that skill alone isn’t always enough.

You need to have depth, resilience, and the ability to handle high-pressure moments. But you also need humility to accept that, in a big final, a bit of luck can play its part too.

You worked with many coaches as a player — John Wright, Greg Chappell, Gary Kirsten. Did any of them influence your approach as a head coach?

Absolutely. Every coach I’ve worked with has influenced me in some way. You’re constantly learning — observing how they operate, how they handle players, and what works in different situations.

In my early years, I had Sandeep Patil and (the late) Aunshuman Gaekwad, followed by Kapil Dev. Later, I worked with John Wright, Greg Chappell, Gary Kirsten, and briefly with Duncan Fletcher. I also spent a lot of time with Paddy Upton in various roles.

You naturally pick up elements from different people, but at the same time, you bring your own approach. Coaching isn’t about copying — it’s about blending what you’ve learned with your philosophy and personality. It’s a mix of learning from coaches, observing others, and gaining insights through reading and watching.

Each coach had a unique style, and I took valuable lessons from all of them. But ultimately, my approach reflects who I am as a person.

During your coaching stint, you closely followed India’s domestic cricket and even made suggestions to improve it. Where do you see the IPL fitting into the overall domestic structure?

The IPL is perfectly placed in the Indian cricket calendar. Before it started, April-May was largely an off-season for Indian cricket. By scheduling T20 matches at night and leveraging the shorter format, the IPL made it possible to play competitive cricket during this period without disrupting the domestic structure.

Unlike other leagues worldwide, which often clash with domestic and Test cricket, the IPL fits seamlessly into India’s schedule. It doesn’t force players to choose between domestic and franchise cricket, which is a major advantage.

Instead of replacing anything, the IPL has expanded the domestic season. It has also elevated tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and, to some extent, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which are now seen as stepping stones to the IPL.

While it has made the season longer and more demanding for players, the benefits — exposure, financial security, and a competitive environment — far outweigh the challenges.

Do you think cricket could follow football’s path, where clubs take precedence over international teams?

There’s no doubt that leagues are growing rapidly. With increasing investment and expanding schedules, they will play an even bigger role in the cricketing calendar.

That said, I still believe international cricket will remain the primary focus. It carries the history and tradition of the game, and I hope it continues to be a critical part of the schedule. However, leagues are becoming more influential, and the challenge will be to strike the right balance. Ideally, both international and franchise cricket can coexist without one cannibalising the other.

How challenging is it for Royals to manage two home bases, with Guwahati now designated as the second home?

Managing two home bases is definitely a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity. Playing in Guwahati allows us to grow the game in the Northeast and build a fanbase there.

We saw fantastic support in the two games, especially against CSK and KKR. Of course, in the CSK match, their fans outnumbered ours, which was expected. But overall, it’s been great to see the enthusiasm for cricket in Guwahati.

From a cricketing perspective, we must keep learning to adapt. It’s still early days, but we’ll find a way to establish two strong home grounds. Since we play only a couple of games in Guwahati, it doesn’t feel as much like a home advantage yet. But as we continue engaging with fans here, we hope to make it a strong second home in the future.

With Kumar Sangakkara transitioning to director of cricket and you now leading the IPL campaign, how has the core team adapted to this change? What conversations have you had with the players?

My philosophy is to work closely with the captain and players — they drive the culture and vision. That hasn’t changed, which is why we retained our core group.

Sanju leads the team, and our job is to support him with the right information and environment to succeed. It’s a collaborative effort between me, the support staff, and the team, not just me imposing my approach.

I like the brand of cricket Royals play, and having been here before, I understand the setup.

We aim to be an exciting young team, push boundaries within our skillset. We want to evolve naturally rather than make changes for the sake of it.