With new coach and a new skipper, India’s quest to write fresh chapter begins 

Express News Service

BENGALURU:  When Rohit Sharma walks out for the toss against New Zealand in the first T20I at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday, it will usher in a new era for India in the shortest format. Besides new T20I captain, the team will also have a new boss in Rahul Dravid. It provides opportunities for fresh faces to make a mark with the next T20 World Cup set for next year.

A look at the squad for the three-match series gives a glimpse of the future. While senior players are rested, IPL 2021 stars, including Harshal Patel, Venkatesh Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Avesh Khan have been included.

The series is not only important for these players, but also for the team management with less than 12 months left for the T20 WC in Australia.

After the below-par showing by India in the United Arab Emirates, they will also be looking at various things such as the brand of cricket they would play, the team composition and their approach, which, at times, suits the 50-over format. The next few months of T20 cricket might give an idea about the team’s template going ahead as well.

“In terms of template, we all need to sit down together and make a collective decision as to what is the best template or the best brand of cricket that we need to play to make sure that Team India is getting better performances and we are giving the best. It will be a discussion, which we will have in the next couple of days. Looking forward to this series as it starts from here so we are going with a fresh frame of mind. The end goal is obviously the World Cup next year, and we will work really hard as a unit and as individuals to make sure that we are best prepared by the time the World Cup comes,” said India batter KL Rahul during a media interaction on Monday.

With a legend like Dravid at the helm, the team is expected to reap the benefits of his presence in the dressing room with his inputs.

In fact, the Karnataka man has played an important role in shaping the careers of a number of Indian youngsters, which has helped him gain immense respect as a coach with the India A team. But, coaching the national team is a different breed altogether as it comes along with huge pressure.

“I have known him (Dravid) for a long time. As a youngster, I did try and pick his brain, try and understand the art of batting better from him. He was very helpful to all of us back home in Karnataka. He has been helping boys around the country, so to have him here in this setup is a great opportunity for us to learn. We all know how big a name Rahul Dravid is in Indian cricket.”

“He is somebody who is big on setting a good team culture and creating an atmosphere where people are thriving and trying to get better as people and cricketers. He has always been a team man when he was playing and that is the kind of culture he wants to bring in here as well, where everyone is putting the team ahead of personal goals,” said Rahul.