For head coach Rahul Dravid and senior pro Virat Kohli, the next series between the West Indies and India will hold special significance because they previously competed there as teammates in 2011. This time, however, they will be preparing for the task in different roles. While Dravid was one of the more experienced players on the team for India’s 2011 trip to the West Indies, Kohli made his Test debut.
Twelve years later, Kohli is back at the location as a senior player, and Dravid is still involved with the team as its head coach. The two will undoubtedly feel a sense of nostalgia because they are the only two players from the 2011 team to make the trip back to the Caribbean for the two-match Test series.
The pair discussed the emotion in-depth in a video that the BCCI posted, as well as remembering the 2011 match.
Here’s what Rahul Dravid had to say:
“When I returned in 2011, it was a particularly remarkable time for this island and the surrounding area. Virat was the sole individual present when we arrived in 2011—to return in a new role, to come here as a coach and to bring a squad here. I recall it being Virat’s first Test series with the Indian side; at the time, he was a young man who had excelled in one-day cricket and was still getting his bearings in Test cricket. But it was clear that someone had a special gift, and it was clear that he would stick around for a while.
The length of time is impossible to predict, so you can be quite proud of his voyage. Even though I never imagined coaching and moving here ten years later, it’s good to have followed his journey and seen him develop from a young athlete on that trip to a senior veteran today. I should refer to him as the trip’s senior player instead of a veteran. It’s wonderful to follow his growth, and I try to picture myself as a young coach just getting started. Thus, the roles have somewhat reversed (laughter).
Here’s what Virat Kohli said:
“I kind of recalled my first Test series here as a player when we got to the locker room and when we went to practice. The Caribbean is the place where it all began. Having played more than 100 Test matches, it is simply incredible to be able to return here 12 years later. I never could have anticipated something like this. Given that he has been coaching for a considerable amount of time, I believe his remark about being a young coach is rather humble. He was a senior, seasoned Test player, and I was on the same team as him.
In fact, I mentioned it to Rahul Bhai as well. I remarked that I’m sure you never dreamed that 12 years later, we’d be back at the same location, and you’d be the head coach while I’d played more than 100 games. Nobody could have anticipated that one. The fact that we are the only two people from the previous trip who are still present in different capacities makes us feel fortunate, but the journeys have also been rather remarkable.
2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣1️⃣ – Team members
2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣ – Head Coach & Batter
12 years on Rahul Dravid & Virat Kohli reminisce some special Dominica memories 😊#TeamIndia | #WIvIND | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/HRkBLS2Lam
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 12, 2023
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