Rohit Sharma says team eager to work with new India head coach Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid as been appointed as new India head coach

Abu Dhabi, November 4: India vice-captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday (November 3) welcomed the appointment of Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the team, saying that the players were looking forward to working with the batting great.

“We were playing the game (against Afghanistan), so I had no idea (about it). Congratulations to him (Rahul Dravid) for coming back in a different capacity in to the Indian team, we look forward to work with him,” Rohit said at the virtual press conference, hours after the BCCI appointed Dravid as the head coach.

Former captain Dravid was on Wednesday appointed as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team by the BCCI, a development that was imminent after the batting great was convinced by the board's top brass.

The former right-handed batsman, who was working as the head of National Cricket Academy, has been appointed for a period of two years till the 2023 50-over World Cup in India.

He will take charge from the upcoming home series against New Zealand, starting November 17.

“He (Dravid) is a stalwart of Indian cricket and it will be nice working with him in future,” said Rohit, who played an important knock of 74 in India's 66-run win against Afghanistan in a Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup here.

After defeating Afghanistan by 66 runs, Rohit said India could have played same brand of cricket against Pakistan and New Zealand as well, the two matches in which they were outplayed.

Despite the win, India’s chances of entering the semis of the T20 World Cup 2021 still hangs in balance and depends on factors like net run rate and results of other matches.

India now need to win both its remaining games against Scotland and Namibia in keep their hopes alive. The Men in Blue would also hope to register comprehensive to further boost their net run rate.

“Yeah, to be honest, it's very much that kind of a situation for us. We know that if we lose any game from here on now, we are out of the tournament.

“So we have to win everything, and when you are in that kind of situation, you have to play fearlessly, not think too much about what is happening or what is happening elsewhere," said Rohit in the post-match press conference.