IND vs NZ: Ex-India player highlights 'biggest challenge' for coach Rahul Dravid in T20Is

Former Indian cricketer Syed Saba Karim took to his official Koo account on Thursday and expressed his thoughts on the biggest challenge, newly appointed Indian head coach Rahul Dravid faces in the T20 format of the game. Taking over the baton of the Indian team from Ravi Shastri, Dravid started his tenure as the head coach with a win against New Zealand in the first T20I of the three-match T20I series on Wednesday, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. India defeated New Zealand by five wickets after a display of all-round performance and started the new era under Dravid on a high.

Meanwhile, Saba Karim’s post suggested that the quest for the win and the quest for progress will make the difference for Dravid in the T20 format. Explaining the same, the ex-cricketer said that Dravid’s biggest challenge would be to find the perfect balance between the quest for the win and the quest for progress. Dravid’s work ethics and hardworking nature are very familiar to the cricketing world, as he previously had a successful career as an Indian player before stepping into the field of coaching, following his retirement in 2012. 

India off to a flying start under Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid-

Before getting appointed as the successor of Shastri, Dravid had successful stints as the coach of the India U-19 team and the India-A team, alongside serving as the chief of the National Cricket Academy(NCA). Meanwhile, India are off to a flying start in Dravid’s first assignment with the Men In Blues under the captaincy of the new T20I captain Rohit Sharma. Rohit got appointed as the full-time T20I skipper following India’s exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, with Kohli stepping down from the leadership role in the T20 format.

During the match, the Indian bowlers first restricted the Kiwis for 164/6 in the 20 overs, as R Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed two batters each. Mohammed Siraj and Deepak Chahar also chipped in with one wicket each, while Axar Patel returned wicketless. In reply to New Zealand’s target, Rohit Sharma’s side chased down the target with two balls left in the match and took a 1-0 lead in the series. Suryakumar Yadav top-scored for the home side courtesy of his match-winning knock of 62 runs in 40 balls, as Rishabh Pant finished the match with a boundary.

Image: Instagram@indiancricketteam