"Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid combination can take Indian cricket further" - Saba Karim

Rahul Dravid is set to begin his tenure as head coach of the Indian men's cricket team soon, while Rohit Sharma is touted to replace Virat Kohli as the T20 International (T20I) captain.

Former India wicket-keeper and selector Saba Karim believes Dravid and Rohit are both calm personalities and can form a good combination.

Speaking on the 'Khelneeti' podcast on YouTube, Karim said:

"The new combo between Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma could potentially be a very sorted out one. Both have a calm personality and are both very patient. They have tolerance as well."

He then spoke about Rohit Sharma's traits and what would make him a good captain.

"From the way Rohit Sharma conducts himself on the field as Mumbai Indians’ captain, you can see that he has the respect of the players. He also seems to know how to motivate different players. Rohit Sharma has plenty of good qualities," Saba Karim said.

On Rahul Dravid, he said:

"Rahul Dravid has a lot of experience, albeit this being his first time coaching a national team. But all the players in the team have played under him, whether it be for India A or the U-19 team.

"So he knows how to motivate which player and what aspects of the players he needs to work on. Mental strength is one of Dravid’s strong points, he works hard on that aspect with players. I feel this can be a great combination that can take Indian cricket even further."

Rohit Sharma can't let pressure of captaincy affect his batting: Saba Karim

Saba Karim also noted that Rohit Sharma batted freely in India's three final matches in the 2021 T20 World Cup, but his performances for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as their captain painted a different picture.

"In the last three matches, if we see, Rohit Sharma is batting freely without any pressure on him, but while leading MI, his batting performance is not so good.

"So it again takes me what I said earlier, it is important that as a captain, if you are coming under that burden and not batting well, then there is no benefit," Saba Karim said.

He added:

"I have always maintained, that regardless of the format, your primary skill should shine be performed well, there has to be continuous progress on that front. So if you can’t do that, you should not be captaining the side. So all this needs to be considered while selecting a captain."

With the World Cup campaign over, India's next assignment will be the three-match T20I series against New Zealand at home, followed by two Tests against the same opposition.

Check out the full 2021 T20 World Cup squad here.