- Rahul Dravid believes sporting heroes are vital for team performance.
- Heroes earn superstardom through consistent performance and sacrifice.
- Recent Test team struggles due to player transitions and fatigue.
- Players find balancing multiple formats increasingly challenging.
The former India head coach Rahul Dravid has expressed a differing viewpoint to his successor, Gautam Gambhir, regarding the role of individual stardom within the national team. While Gambhir has advocated for the eradication of superstar culture to prioritise collective success, Dravid maintains that heroes are essential for capturing the imagination of the public and driving on-field performance.
The Necessity Of Sporting Heroes
Dravid argued that individual legends emerge through consistent delivery on the field rather than by design. He believes that the immense pressure and focus in India mean that those who achieve superstar status have earned it through significant sacrifice.
“Any sport needs its heroes, and I don’t think people become heroes without performances. You can’t capture the imagination of a nation if you don’t deliver on the field, especially in India, where you get a lot of praise for what you do, but also a lot of brickbats. There’s a lot of scrutiny and constant focus on you. So to become a legend or a superstar in India means you’ve done a lot of things right, and in the process, you’ve also helped your team win,” Dravid told Wisden on the Scoop podcast.
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Addressing The Recent Test Slump
The discussion comes at a time when the Indian Test side has faced significant challenges at home. While the white-ball team has secured the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2026 T20 World Cup, the red-ball unit has suffered home whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa.
Dravid noted that the transition period is naturally difficult following the departure of senior stalwarts. “We’ve had a couple of series where we haven’t performed as well as an Indian team, and that can happen. We are also missing a few key players, with some of the big names having recently retired, Rohit, Virat, and Ashwin – and it is not easy to replace players like that,” he added.
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The Challenges Of Modern Formats
The veteran batsman also highlighted that current players struggle to find a balance between multiple formats. He suggested that the sheer volume of white-ball cricket often leaves the squad with limited time to prepare for the rigours of the red-ball game.
He believes the passion for Test cricket remains strong among the players, who still view it as the toughest format. Despite the recent setbacks, Dravid remains optimistic that the team will find its rhythm and return to competitive form in the coming seasons.
