"I almost forgot that I was actually a cricket player at one stage"- Rahul Dravid on 2007 World Cup

Head coach Rahul Dravid was the Indian captain during their ill-fated 2007 World Cup campaign when the Men in Blue ended up getting knocked out of a group that consisted of Bangladesh, Bermuda, and Sri Lanka.

However, 16 years on, Dravid has the opportunity to erase those painful memories by becoming a World Cup-winning coach. He claimed that he stopped thinking about his playing career long ago and is only focused on the job at hand.

Speaking to the reporters on Friday, here's what Rahul Dravid had to say about his transition from being the captain of a World Cup team to a coach:

"It's a long time since I was a player. I almost forgot that I was actually a cricket player at one stage to be very honest with you. I have moved on from that. I don't think of myself as a player anymore. Maybe that's the mind space difference... I'm focussed on helping the group to do the best they can.”

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Once the game starts, it's the captain's team: Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid claimed that once Team India steps onto the field, the decision-making process lies completely in the hands of captain Rohit Sharma. He explained that his role was more towards helping the captain in his decisions and creating a good environment in the team.

Dravid stated:

"Honestly, once the game starts, it's the captain's team. It's the team that needs to take it forward, they need to execute it, they need to do the job. As a coach I see my work in the lead-up to the games, in the lead-up to this World Cup, trying to get the squad we got eventually. Building up the team, building up the squad and then hoping to allow the players to play and express themselves to have fun."

Rahul Dravid has not yet ruled Shubman Gill out of India's opening 2023 World Cup encounter against Australia in Chennai on Sunday, October 8.