EXCLUSIVE: Rahul Dravid never lost his temper with us, says Ishan Kishan
India U-19 captain Ishan Kishan, who led his side to the final of the U-19 ICC World Cup 2016, said his boys and himself learnt a lot from coach Rahul Dravid.
Rahul Dravid was known to be one of the calmest heads in cricket. He rarely succumbed to pressure and kept piling runs in his own style. And Dravid, who is now in charge of the India A and U-19 teams, is doing exactly the same. (Full IPL Coverage)
Dravid's boys were extremely consistent in the recently-concluded U-19 Cricket World Cup. However, they finished second best after being outclassed in the final by a spirited West Indies unit.
Dravid's consistent approach has made him one of the favourites for Team India coach's role.
The skipper of India U-19 team Ishan Kishan seems to be in awe of his coach. In an exclusive interview to India Today, Kishan said Dravid was one of the most humble human beings he had ever met.
When asked if he hated anything about Dravid, Kishan was quick to say that there was nothing to dislike about the batting icon.
"Dravid is such a humble person. It was very nice to work with him. He made sure he appreciated us whenever we performed well. He comes to us individually, he helped us learn a lot," Kishan said.
The Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman also said he had never seen Dravid lose his temper with the young boys in the U-19 team. "He is very, very calm. He doesn't lose his temper. Even if we make mistakes, he just lets us know them and makes us aware of our negatives," Ishan said.
And as expected, the young men who stole the show in the U-19 World Cup were rewarded with Indian Premier League contracts this season. While the skipper himself is plying his trade for Gujarat Lions, Sarfaraz Khan, who was the highest-run getter for India with 355 runs from six innings at the ICC tournament, is playing under Virat Kohli at the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Unlike skipper Ishan, Sarfaraz is not new to IPL. He has been regarded as one of the most exciting talents in the league after he stole the show last season matching the T20 giants AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle with every stroke he played. Sarfaraz played 13 matches in the eighth edition and his strike rate read an impressive 153.60.
His rich batting form made sure he grabbed attention this season also. In Bangalore's opening clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad this season, Sarfaraz slammed a 10-ball 35 not out and boxed out the opposition.
Kishan is not surprised with his U-19 teammate's good showing in the IPL. He says he had expected Sarfaraz to fire all cylinders in the lucrative tournament. "He is a hard working boy. He executes his plans on the ground well. He was determined and was talking about the Indian Premier League as well when we were playing together. He is doing well and it's really good," the 17-year-old said.
Kishan is also excited about sharing the dressing room with T20 stalwarts Brendon McCullum, Dale Steyn, Dwayne Bravo and Gujarat skipper Suresh Raina. "I am sharing the dressing room with legendary players at Gujarat Lions. It gives me a good opportunity to learn from them," he said.
Kishan also revealed his plans for the future saying he had to focus on learning from his mistakes. "I don't think I have to compete with anyone else. I would be my own competition. It would depend on how I improve myself as the days pass. I have to work hard and rectify my mistakes," he said.