Follow UsRahul Dravid is one of those coaches who has graduated from one stage to another. From being an Under-19 and 'A' team coach to mentoring players at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), making it to the final of the ODI World Cup and World Test Championships, and finally winning the T20 World Cup with some of the same players he coached during his coaching days of the Under-19 or A team or as head of NCA. ‘The Wall’ of Indian cricket has seen it all.
Thus, no one is better than him to explain how the various stages of cricket coaching differ.
Answering a similar question to Sportstar, the current Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 said, “The conversations you have with them now are very different from when they were 16 or 17. As a coach, you must adapt to their growth.”
“At the Under-19 level, coaching is more hands-on. You often take on a more instructional role, guiding them closely. But at this stage, they are experienced professionals. Your role shifts from instructing to supporting,” he added.
The 52-year-old went on to compare caching to parenting, saying, “In some ways, it’s like raising children. When they’re young, your conversations with them are different, but as they mature, those interactions evolve. It’s no different with players. You have to adapt to who you are coaching and focus on the goal you’re trying to achieve.”