India's ouster from the T20 World Cup 2022 on the penultimate hurdle has seen a wide range of reactions come in from the global cricketing spectrum. A number of retired overseas cricketers have tried to point out the flaws in the Indian team that led to their elimination from the tournament. Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria even went to the length of saying that Rahul Dravid shouldn't be the coach of the Indian team in the shortest format. Kaneria is of the opinion that Dravid lacks the 'mindset' required to guide the Indian team into becoming T20 world champions.
Dravid took over the coach's role in the Indian team after Ravi Shastri stepped down following the 2021 T20 World Cup. Since taking over the coach's role from Shastri, Dravid has tried to instill a new style into the Indian team, especially in batters. But, the efforts didn't bear the desired fruit in Australia as the Indian team was knocked out by England in the semi-finals.
Kaneria, in a video on his YouTube channel, questioned Dravid's credentials as a coach of India's T20 side. While giving Dravid the respect he deserves for the player he was, especially in Tests, the former Pakistani spinner doesn't think he has the aggression required to make the Indian team successful in the shortest format.
"If you picked Rishabh Pant, you should've utilised him. He should've been sent out to bat higher up in the batting order, after KL Rahul got out. He came out to bat in the 19th over. What can he do then? India would have to change the mindset. Rahul Dravid will have to change his mentality. As a cricketer, Rahul Dravid was excellent in the Test format. He should be India's coach only in Tests but not in T20Is," Kaneria said.
"His intent is not there as there's no aggression. He doesn't know how to handle pressure. He was a 'calm and cool cricketer' who can stay on the crease for the whole day. But, this is T20 cricket. Here, you have to handle pressure. But, you can't handle pressure in T20s," he further said.
Kaneria also questioned the absence of a number of players like Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, etc. from the team.
"Rahul Dravid also made big mistakes before the World Cup. Different teams were set up by the management but preparation was zero. Where was Rahul Tewatia? If he was there, India would've had an all-rounder who could've played a role similar to Shadab Khan. He bowls and can be an impact player as a batter. You didn't invest into him. Your bowling department was weak but you didn't do anything. Mohammed SIraj could've been X-Factor while Umran Malik was also not picked. You need express pacers in Australia. You don't need 120-130 kph bowlers there," he asserted.
The Indian cricket team now has to push the reset button and prepare some young guns for the next edition of the T20 World Cup that takes place in 2024.