Rahul Dravid cherished every accomplishment of Virat Kohli, but in the process, built suspense surrounding his future
Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid's roles were very different when they last came to play a Test match at Dominica in 2011. Kohli was making his Test debut and Dravid, as it turned out, was in the penultimate year of his legendary career. Not many would have envisioned them returning at the Windsor Park 12 years later, but here they are – back in West Indies in very contrasting capacities. Today, Dravid is the head coach of a team he represented for 16 years, whereas Kohli is a modern-day great entering a very interesting phase of his career. Dravid's current contract as coach expires after the World Cup and whether the BCCI will extent it for another run is a chapter for another day. Similarly, Kohli will be 35 by the time the World Cup ends and whether he will continue playing both Tests and ODIs – he is sidelined from the T20 set-up – is uncertain.
As both head towards a suspense-filled future, Dravid, in a heartfelt tribute to Kohli, lauded the accomplishments of the former India captain. Having watched Kohli take his first steps in Test cricket all the way to him becoming a legend of the game, Dravid beams with pride. Recalling the first impressions of a young Virat bursting onto the scene as a 19-year-old, Dravid cherished every accomplishment of Kohli, but in the process, built suspense surrounding his future.
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"When we came back here in 2011, that was a very special occasion for this island and the ground here. To now come back in a different capacity - as a coach and with the team - Virat was the only one who was there in 2011. I remember Virat... it was his first Test series with the Indian team, and he was this young kid. He had done really well in one-day cricket and was finding his feet in Tests. But you could see that there was this special talent and that he was going to be around for a while. For how long, you can never say but he can be very proud of his journey," Dravid said in a video shared by the BCCI.
Dravid and Kohli's connection runs deep
2011 West Indies isn't the only special connection between Dravid and Kohli. In Dravid's last ODI, Kohli scored a century as they put on a 170-run partnership even though India came up short. In Dravid's final Test for India – against Australia at Adelaide in 2012, Kohli racked up his maiden ton. The two were even teammates at the Royal Challengers Bangalore for four seasons. Hence, years later, it was only fitting that Kohli and Dravid even made for India's coach-captain combination, albeit briefly for three matches as Virat gave up captaincy. Dravid admits he never thought he would return to the scene as coach, but seeing the legacy Kohli has built in the last decade, fills that 38-year-old version of him with profound joy.
"I certainly never thought that I could coach and come here 12 years later so it's kind of nice, not just for me but to see Virat, his journey – from being a young player on that trip to now being a senior player. It's been great for me to see that journey. I think of myself as someone who is a young coach starting out his journey as well. The tables have turned a little bit," added the India coach.
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