R Sridhar, the former India fielding coach, believes his successor T Dilip has been deservingly given an extension with the new-look national side and added that he needs to just keep doing the things which have made the team a gun fielding unit.
After Sridhar’s seven-year stint ended with 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup, Dilip came on board to help the Indian team maintain its high fielding standard, which turned out to be a standout aspect during their 2023 ODI World Cup runners-up finish and 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.
“It’s a credit to Dilip for being re-nominated as the fielding coach of the team. That goes on to show how well is the work he’s put in – the body of work that is put in behind the scenes. Many coaches work hard, so many support staff work hard behind the scenes to ensure that the players are able to create such magic on the field.
“So everyone in that World Cup winning team, whether it is Vikram (Rathour), whether it is Paras (Mhambrey), whether it is Dilip, and of course, everyone knows what Rahul (Dravid) has brought. The other support staff, the non-quitting support staff, the S&C, physio, masseurs, throw-down specialists, everyone has contributed to the team’s success,” says Sridhar in an exclusive conversation with IANS, facilitated by Sony Sports Network.
Dilip is also the brainchild behind the fielding medal ceremony in the dressing room and giving out captivating speeches in the post-game videos, which are now keenly awaited by vociferous fans of the side.
“The BCCI has so rightly rewarded all of them. Dilip obviously introduced that fielding medal, so introduced a competitive element into the changing room. That brought about the lift in performances on the field, which we all could see. So deservingly, he’s been given an extension.”
“He needs to do nothing different. He just needs to continue what he’s continuing to do. Obviously, he needs to understand the vision of the new head coach who’s come in and work in tune with that vision. I’m sure with the experience he’s got, with the rapport he’s got with the players, he will do a great job,” added Sridhar, a fellow Hyderabadi, just like Dilip.
India will kick-start its tour of Sri Lanka with three T20Is at Pallekele on Saturday, followed by as many ODI games in Colombo. Sridhar admitted the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja from the format will leave a big vacuum in India’s fielding resources in the shortest format, but expects younger generation of players to step up.
“They are going to leave a big void, make no mistake, especially Jaddu the fielder and his key overs; Virat the fielder, his passion, aggression, batting under pressure, and Rohit’s cricketing smartness, plus leadership. There are so many things which the team is going to miss.”
“But then that is the only thing which is permanent, isn’t it? That’s Change. So there have been eras of Indian cricket when we have thought, what if Kapil Dev goes, who will replace? What if Gavaskar goes, who will replace Gavaskar? What happens when Sachin retires?”
“But every time when the legends have retired from the game, new legends have been born and gone on to achieve greater heights. So similarly, I hope and pray that when these three big legends of the format have hung up their boots, then they have paved the way, inspired, and motivated the next generation to do better than them. That is exactly what will happen, and that is what I pray.”
One of the most astonishing pieces of fielding from the Indian team has undoubtedly been Suryakumar Yadav’s relay catch at long-off to dismiss David Miller in the final at Kensington Oval in Barbados, which became a pivotal moment in the side becoming T20 World Cup champions.
Under pressure, Suryakumar showed the presence of mind to throw the ball back in the air, regain his composure by hopping back into the field of play to complete one of the most important catches of his career in a span of five seconds. Sridhar explained the anatomy of how catches like the one Suryakumar took at Barbados are made possible on the field.
“I mean, it’s practice, isn’t it? One, it reflects the fitness of the players. That is where the sports science team really work hard on the players to be able to get into those positions and take those catches without hurting themselves or making it look very easy.”
“Second is the practice. Every team, whether it is a franchise, national or junior national team, they practice a lot of catches on the boundary line, day in and day out, especially in the T20 format. Its because they know that as a T20 cricketer, fielding becomes your second skill, if not your main skill, because that is where you can make a difference.”
“We saw that in 1983, we saw Kapil Dev’s catch not only change the fortunes of the match, it changed the fortunes of a team, nation and the cricket board. Similarly, this catch, what Surya has taken, has given the people of our country an ICC trophy, which they were longing for more than 10 or 13 years.”
“He’s given that moment for us, that goes on to show his ability to practice and his attention to detail in practice. All teams practice that. In the last game, it was Surya’s opportunity. In the next game, it could be someone else. But that was in a high-pressure environment, like a T20 World Cup final. So obviously, it stood out.”
“But all athletes are capable of doing that. All our cricketers practice that day in and day out. They’re assisted by their coaches, and we will see many more catches like that being pulled out by many more Indian fielders.”
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