"Rahul Dravid will have a greater say in team-building for future ICC events" - Lalchand Rajput 

India’s only T20 World Cup-winning manager and current Zimbabwe head coach Lalchand Rajput is optimistic about the Men in Blue’s chances of making the semi-finals in the ongoing edition of the tournament, despite their struggles.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda on Saturday, Rajput spoke on India’s qualification scenarios. He also gave his opinion on whether the “bubble fatigue” should be blamed for their early losses, what Rahul Dravid’s appointment as the new head coach means for the future of Indian cricket, and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan’s remarkable rise in international cricket.

Here are the excerpts:-

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You should always be optimistic in cricket: Lalchand Rajput

After suffering back-to-back humiliations against Pakistan and New Zealand in Group 2, Kohli & Co. thrashed Afghanistan (by 66 runs) and Scotland (by eight wickets and 81 balls to spare) in their next two fixtures to keep their knockout hopes alive.

Currently placed third in Group 2 behind Pakistan and New Zealand with four points and the best net run rate (+1.619) , India’s fate now rests on the Afghanistan versus New Zealand game to be played in Abu Dhabi on Sunday afternoon. If the Afghans defeat the Kiwis and India win their final Super 12 clash against Namibia by a big margin on Monday, the inaugural champions will sail through. If New Zealand secure a win, they will sound the death knell for India yet again in an ICC event.

Unperturbed by the complex calculations, Rajput, who played two Tests and four ODIs for India between 1985 and 1987, believes Afghanistan’s strong spin attack might enable them to pull off an upset against the Black Caps.

"In cricket, you should always be optimistic; you never know what can happen," the former India opener said. "Afghanistan can upset the New Zealanders as they have the best spin attack in the competition. More importantly, they have to bat well and put up a total of over 160."

It’s very difficult for the players to cope with the bubble fatigue, feels Rajput

Following the eight-wicket drubbing against New Zealand in their second Super 12 match last Sunday, India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah blamed the bio-bubble fatigue as the major factor behind his side’s poor showing in the first two matches. While it’s true that the Indian team has been on the road since June, one should question the BCCI’s inaction on the matter. Couldn’t the 15 players selected for the T20 World Cup have been exempted from the excessive IPL workload in order to keep them fresh for the ICC event?

Perhaps we can take a leaf out of England’s book, several of whose players skipped the second half of the IPL and are now ensuring the side’s dream run in the T20 World Cup with handsome returns.

Widely respected for his man-management skills, Rajput has full sympathy for the players.

"With the COVID protocols in place, it’s very difficult for the players to be in bubbles for too long as fatigue definitely creeps in," the 59-year old opined. "I am sure the BCCI will look into the matter."

Rajput (R) believes Dravid's (L) prior experience of mentoring young players will help him build a strong team for the future.

Rajput shares his thoughts on Rahul Dravid’s appointment as the new head coach of the men’s team

Having been part of the coaching staff of India’s senior and Under-19 teams in the past, Rajput certainly knows what it takes to manage a team of such great stature. He is evidently pleased with Indian batting great Rahul Dravid’s appointment as the new head coach of the senior men’s team. The former India captain will replace Ravi Shastri, whose term will end with the conclusion of the T20 World Cup.

Rajput feels Dravid’s prior experience of working closely with several youngsters at the National Cricket Academy, the U-19 and the India-A levels would expedite the transition phase.

"It's a good thing for Rahul that he was the coach of India’s Under-19 and A teams in the past because he has mentored most of the youngsters who are in the senior team now," he said.

Rajput also added that Dravid will have a bigger role to play in the team-building process for future ICC events.

"He will have a greater say in the team-building process for the next ICC event, but I don’t think there will be too many changes to the team."

Rajput on Rashid Khan’s stupendous rise

Many cricket enthusiasts may not be aware of Rajput’s contribution to Afghanistan spin sensation Rashid Khan’s IPL breakthrough.

Khan, then only 19, was at the nascent stage of his international career during Rajput’s stint as the Afghanistan head coach from 2016 to 2017. The former opener was instrumental in convincing Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman to pick up the leg-spinner at the 2017 IPL auction.

Commenting on Khan’s meteoric rise, Rajput said:

"The best thing about Rashid is that he is a real trier who never gives up. He's a very attacking bowler and the best in T20 cricket at the moment."

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