Former Team India head coach Rahul Dravid opened up about the selection headaches of team combination and maintaining balance within the team. The former captain said that a head coach must manage the atmosphere, handle selection matters and deal with the emotions around him.
Dravid served as India’s head coach in two World Cups. India dominated the 2023 World Cup on home soil and remained unbeaten till the final, where they missed out on winning the title. He ended his coaching tenure on a high, leading India to World Cup glory in 2024, a fitting conclusion after the heartbreak of the previous campaign.
Not everyone will agree with you from time to time – Rahul Dravid
During his appearance on Breakfast with Champions, Rahul Dravid admitted that one of the toughest aspects is to explain the selection decisions to the players who have been left out, as not everyone will understand the logic.
“Really your job is to manage that environment as best you can – to manage the environment, the selection and the issues around it,” Dravid said.
He said, “The challenge is to communicate with players when they are not selected, to explain why certain people are left out, or why a particular combination is being played. At times not everyone will agree with you and that is part of the job.”
You can’t please everyone – Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid said that sometimes there is no clear reason for excluding some players. He acknowledged that even the left outs like Ishan Kishan are capable of becoming successful if given a chance. However, with limited space available, tough decisions are inevitable.
Rahul Dravid further added, “Sometimes, you don’t even have enough explanation as to why someone was not selected. They may be quite good, but someone else is equally good and performing well, so you can’t change the team.”
“Given a chance, those who have been left out will also probably do well. But only eleven can play, or only six or five batsmen can be fit. In a country like India, where there is so much talent, I don’t envy the selectors or the head coaches who have to have such tough conversations because the reality is you can’t please everyone.”
Ishan Kishan removed from BCCI’s central contract list in 2024
Ishan Kishan was dropped from the BCCI central contract list in early 2024 after skipping domestic matches despite clear instructions from the board. Both he and Shreyas Iyer were penalized for missing the final round of the Ranji Trophy.
After taking a break from cricket, Kishan returned for Mumbai Indians during IPL 2024. He later represented Jharkhand in domestic cricket and was reinstated to the 2025 central contract list in April.
The wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 933 runs in ODIs at an average of 42.40, which also includes a double century. He has also scored 796 runs in T20Is with six fifties. Kishan was considered for India’s fifth Test against England following the injury to Rishabh Pant, but had to withdraw due to fitness concerns.
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